


Cheetos and Grape Soda

by sunnflowers



Series: Cheetos and Grape Soda [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Gemlings, Gems In Heat, Mates, Other, non-canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-01
Updated: 2017-01-09
Packaged: 2018-08-18 22:10:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 70,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8177939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnflowers/pseuds/sunnflowers
Summary: This story is about Jasper learning to cope with being alive. She looks to Amethyst to help push her through and in return she gives Amethyst the best of herself.





	1. Chapter 1

Amethyst was curious to see what the warrior was doing. Late at night, when Amethyst was normally hanging out in the kitchen, she noticed Jasper would sometimes walk out onto the beach. Amethyst found it to be odd, wondering what the orange gem could be doing alone at such a late hour. Tonight was no different, while Amethyst quietly grabbed food from the refrigerator, she saw Jasper make a stealthy exit from the beach house. 

Amethyst finished her snack and stood out on the porch. She could see a shadow she suspected belonged to Jasper standing at the far end of the beach. She watched as the shadow moved closer and closer to the water before pausing and then retreating. Amethyst swore Jasper looked like she was waiting for something to happen, looking for something in the water. She decided to take a closer look. 

Jasper forced herself to take another step closer to the ocean. The tide washed in and out, but never much past where she was standing. She was hoping tonight she could manage the thoughts she had been having, that the calm sound of the water could help her with that. She took another step, but as she watched the tide come back towards her, she backed away. Finally, she sat down in the sand, frustrated. Why couldn’t she break herself of these thoughts? It wasn’t as if she liked Lapis, in actuality, she found Lapis tiresome. She was nice enough to spend short amounts of time with, but not a gem she could enjoy long-term. Jasper knew Lapis wasn’t her mate, but … the feeling she had when they were fused was like nothing she had experienced before or since. 

“Hey Jasper,” Amethyst said softly as she approached the orange gem.

“Oh, hey Amethyst,” Jasper said, not looking up from the sand.

“You out here thinking about Lapis?” Amethyst asked. Jasper blushed and turned her head. “It’s cool,” the purple gem said. “I get it. I mean, it must have been something, being forced into that fusion for so long. Being Sugilite is …” Amethyst trailed off for a moment, trying to find the right words. “Well, I just mean, I know how good it can feel to be part of a fusion. It’s okay to miss it.” Jasper continued to look at the sand. It’s okay to miss it? How could Amethyst say such a thing. She couldn’t get herself out of a deep, cyclical pattern of thoughts; she hated Lapis, she wanted to be with Lapis, she wanted to be Malachite, she hated being Malachite, she hated Lapis. The pattern repeated over and over in her head without any ability to control it. It was pathetic. She was pathetic. 

The two sat in the sand for a while in silence until Amethyst spoke up. “You know, I could help you. I mean, if you wanted.” Jasper looked up at the purple gem but quickly averted her gaze. “No really, I just imagine it’s hard to work through this alone. And we’re both out here …” Amethyst’s sentence trailed off once again. She looked over and saw Jasper biting her bottom lip. Amethyst stood and brushed the sand off of her before offering Jasper her hand. “What do you say?” Jasper was silent, but took Amethyst’s hand as she stood. 

Amethyst flashed a smile at the orange gem. Jasper looked worried, but she stood facing Amethyst, ready to follow her lead. She took Jasper’s hand and walked towards the water. “I love the sand. It’s really a lot of fun. Sand castles, holes, tunnels, all sorts of fun things you can do with it.” She smiled at Jasper and the orange gem took a step towards her. “And during the day, it’s a great place to nap. It’s warm and comforting. You can dig into it and feel all the heat from the day.” 

Amethyst took Jasper’s other hand and faced her. “And it’s fun to build things, then step on them!” Amethyst’s face lit up as she said this. “Do you like the sand?” Amethyst gave Jasper’s hand a quick squeeze, beckoning her attention. 

“Uhm, I dunno. I guess I’ve never thought about it,” Jasper said as she looked up. She looked into Amethyst’s eyes and smiled slightly. “I suppose it’s okay. I think I prefer grass. It’s soft, and cool. I like the contrast of lying in the sun against the cool grass.” 

Amethyst smiled and took a small step closer to Jasper. She ran her thumb over Jasper’s hand and the orange gem began to blush. The tide came in and lapped at their feet while their eyes were locked. “The contrast of the sand and tide during the day is nice,” Amethyst continued. “It’s like the sun and the grass. You know, the cool water and the warm sand.” 

As the tide came in once more, Amethyst could feel Jasper tense. She reached out for Jasper’s arm, trying to get the orange gem’s attention. “Hey,” she said gently. Jasper focused once again on Amethyst, but she began to back away. After a few more steps, she turned and left for the beach house. Amethyst watched in silence, knowing she should let her go. She glanced down at their footprints, before the tide washed them away.


	2. Chapter 2

Jasper sat down on her bed, trying to talk herself through the thoughts she was having. She closed her eyes and tried to breathe normally. As she inhaled she saw Malachite’s eyes. She felt a soft twinge of sadness that was immediately replaced by helplessness. She began to feel as if she were breathing water. She could feel her fabricated lungs begin to burn as she started to gasp and cough. She closed her eyes more tightly and was surrounded by a sea green color. It swallowed her, surrounded her as she gasped for unneeded air. Suddenly, she heard Amethyst’s voice. 

“Open your eyes, Jasper!” Jasper refused, she couldn’t. “Jasper, just open your eyes, it’s me, it’s okay. Just for a minute.” Jasper struggled to get her eyes open and she was face to face with Amethyst. “It’s okay,” the purple gem said gently. “You’re okay, I’m here.” She placed her hands on Jasper’s shoulders while the orange gem wrapped her arms around her own body. Amethyst had realized Jasper was spiraling really quickly. She tried to get her to stop, but the orange gem seemed far too anxious to talk. “Breathe, Jasper. I know it’s awkward, but it will help, really.” 

Amethyst crawled onto the bed and knelt next to Jasper, pulling the orange gem back towards her chest. She put her hands back on Jasper’s shoulders and whispered gently. “Breathe, slow and even. Try to match mine.” She lowered her hands and placed them against Jasper’s ribs. The orange gem moved her hands slightly, letting her fingertips graze against Amethyst’s hands. 

After a while, Jasper loosened the grip she held on herself. Amethyst moved towards the edge of the bed to sit next to her. Jasper’s eyes were fixed on the floor when Amethyst tried to look at her. “I’m sorry,” Amethyst started. “I … I just wanted to check on you. I wanted to make sure you were okay. I knocked, but you didn’t answer. I opened the door slightly and called your name but you still didn’t answer, so I came in to make sure you were alright.” They were both quiet for a minute. 

“No, it’s okay. Thank you.” Jasper held Amethyst’s gaze for a moment before looking back at the floor. “I’m okay now.” Amethyst slipped one of her hands into Jasper’s. The taller gem blushed slightly, but held on to Amethyst’s hand.

“What got you so freaked out?” Amethyst asked. Jasper didn’t respond. “I thought things were going well. Did I move to fast? Did I push you too far?”

Jasper looked startled, “No. No, not at all.” She looked into Amethyst’s eyes. “I actually felt okay while I was there. I was okay with you standing that close, and it was nice to talk with you.” Jasper blushed again and looked away from Amethyst. “I’m not sure what happened.” 

They sat for a bit longer in silence until Amethyst spoke softly. “You did a great job. It must have been hard for you. You should be proud; you’ve come so far.”

Jasper sighed. “It’s silly for a warrior to be afraid.” 

Amethyst tightened her grip on Jasper’s hand. “But it isn’t just being afraid, it’s everything you’ve been through and all the memories that go along with it. It … it’s hard … even for a warrior. But, you’re working towards getting over it. And you should be really proud of how well you’re doing. You’ve made progress! And you did it yourself. That’s pretty badass.” Jasper smiled back at Amethyst. 

Amethyst could tell Jasper was exhausted. “Maybe you should go to sleep for a while. You look pretty worn out.”

“I … I think I’m okay, but thanks,” Jasper said as she bit her lip anxiously. Amethyst pulled gently at Jasper’s arm, trying to get the orange gem to look at her. 

“No, what’s on your mind? Talk to me.” 

“I … don’t want to,” Jasper said very softly. “I don’t want to close my eyes just yet.” Amethyst brushed her thumb over the orange gem’s hand.

“Jasper, do you have problems sleeping?” 

“I dunno,” the orange gem shrugged, “I mean, gems don’t need to sleep right?” Amethyst stood, placing herself directly in Jasper’s line of sight. 

“That wasn’t the question.” Jasper stared at the floor. 

“Yeah. Especially after … stuff like that. I can’t sleep or meditate without getting flashbacks of Malachite, sometimes for days.” 

Amethyst tipped Jasper’s chin up, looking into her eyes. “Wanna cuddle with me? It might help you feel better.” Jasper bit her lip again hesitantly. Amethyst sat back down next to the orange gem. “You can say no. I just thought maybe you might feel better if you weren’t alone. No big deal.” Jasper looked back down at the floor. 

“Okay,” she said softly as she patted her bed. Amethyst closed her eyes and phased into a tank top and a pair of shorts. Jasper phased into a similar outfit and pulled the blanket down. Amethyst crawled into bed next to Jasper and propped herself up with her arm. 

“Big spoon or little spoon?” Amethyst asked. She laughed at the puzzled look on Jasper’s face and rolled her eyes. “Right, Homeworld gem. Just come here.” She pulled Jasper towards her and slid her arm underneath the pillow. Jasper rolled over, lying more on her back than really cuddling with Amethyst. Once the orange gem had stopped moving, Amethyst rested her other arm over Jasper’s stomach, wrapping her fingers around Jasper’s hip. The two were quite for a while, focusing on how it felt to be close to the other. Finally, Amethyst spoke, “You doing alright?” When Jasper whispered an affirmative reply, Amethyst continued. “I meant what I said earlier. It takes time to deal with things. But you’ve made awesome progress.”

Jasper let out a sigh, “Thanks for your help.” Amethyst’s thumb brushed gently over Jasper’s hip.

“No problem.”


	3. Chapter 3

The room was dark and quiet. Amethyst’s breathing was slow, melodious. Jasper’s breathing was shallow. Finally, finally, Jasper felt calm, in control. After a while, Jasper rolled over to face Amethyst. “Just fuck me.” A sly smile spread across Amethyst’s face at the thought, but she was still confused and questioned the orange gem. Jasper placed her hand on Amethyst’s ribs as she spoke. “I appreciate the help with everything, really I do. But we both know your mouth has been way too close to my ear and your hands way too low on my hips for this to be completely platonic.” She moved her head towards Amethyst’s and placed her lips against the purple gem’s ear. “Just. Fuck. Me.” That was enough of an invitation for Amethyst. She straddled Jasper and pushed her shirt up towards her chest, taking one of her nipples in her mouth and sucking slowly. 

Jasper arched her back as Amethyst moved to her other nipple, mumbling obscenities as she did. When Amethyst had finished her attack on Jasper’s chest, she moved to her ear, running her tongue over it slowly before whispering to her. “I didn’t suggest cuddling so I could fuck you, Jasper.” The orange gem let out a soft moan. “I was genuinely worried about you. That panic attack looked pretty brutal and I wanted to make sure you were doing alright.” 

“I know,” Jasper said as she ran her hands down Amethyst’s shoulders, following her chest to her hips. “Thank you. I do really appreciate it.” Amethyst sunk her teeth gently into Jasper’s shoulder and sighed as the orange gem arched her body up closer to Amethyst’s. 

She moved to Jasper’s other ear as she whispered, “I just want to make sure you know I can separate the sexual tension between us and my concern for you as a friend and team mate.” 

Jasper slid her hand down Amethyst’s shorts and gently ran her thumb over the tip of Amethyst’s cock. She watched as Amethyst’s eyes became glossy and dilated. “You care about me. It’s really sweet, Amethyst, and I do appreciate it. That panic attack could have been so much worse …” She slid her fingers down Amethyst’s length. “But I can separate the two also. And we’re in bed, half naked, and you’re pretty hard … I know I want it, what about you?” 

Amethyst leaned forward and kissed Jasper deeply. “Been dreaming about this for weeks,” Amethyst said as she pulled her lips from Jasper’s. With one deep sigh, Jasper phased away her clothing. She ran her hands up Amethyst’s ribs and softly brushed her thumbs over the purple gem’s nipples. Amethyst couldn’t take her eyes off Jasper. “Fuck Jasper, you’re gorgeous.” She kissed along Jasper’s stomach, down to her hip before phasing away her own clothing. She pushed the head of her cock gently against Jasper’s core and looked into the orange gem’s eyes. “You still okay with this?” 

Jasper nodded slowly, “Yea.” 

Every one of Jasper’s nerves was on edge as the orange gem closed her eyes. She had been daydreaming of this moment for weeks. She and Amethyst had been growing closer as she began to settle into her life on Earth, but they weren’t anywhere close to having a physical relationship. While she laid in bed next to the purple gem, Jasper thought to herself, this one time couldn’t hurt. And after all, they could both feel the tension between them. 

Jasper pulled Amethyst closer, her nails digging into the purple gem’s back. Japser could feel Amethyst deeper and deeper in her core. And almost without warning, Jasper’s body pulsed as she came. She tore into Amethyst’s back, this time drawing blood. The feeling of Jasper’s body tightening around her sent Amethyst over the edge as well. The odd mix of deep pain and newly experienced pleasure was something Amethyst hadn’t felt before. 

“Fuck Jasper!” Amethyst cried, digging her nails into the bed, trying hard not to rip herself away from the orange gem. Jasper’s eyes were closed tightly as she pulled her hands away from Amethyst and held them against the bed in fists.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” She repeated over and over through her panting, her body still sensitive and her muscles tensing. 

Amethyst rolled over and pulled Jasper into her arms. “It’s okay,” she whispered softly once she caught her breath, holding the orange gem tightly. Amethyst pressed her lips against Jasper’s and kissed her deeply, trying to help her relax. One kiss turned into three, turned into five, until Jasper’s body melted into the bed, her muscles relaxed. 

Amethyst focused on the feel of Jasper’s body against her. This was something she could get used to, something she could enjoy. She ran her hand through Jasper’s hair and sighed, pulling the orange gem’s body closer. Amethyst was done second guessing herself. She wanted this, she wanted more of this. She placed a kiss on Jasper’s shoulder and the orange gem’s eyes fluttered open. Jasper focused her gaze on Amethyst and blinked slowly a few times. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, gingerly touching Amethyst’s shoulder. Amethyst gently took Jasper’s hand and placed it on her waist, then placed her hand on Jasper’s back, holding the other tightly. She kissed Jasper again, falling back into a blissful physical connection with her. Eventually, Jasper’s eyes began to close. Amethyst planted a few kisses on Jasper’s neck before telling the orange gem to sleep. 

Jasper woke to Amethyst’s arm draped around her waist. She could feel how warm the purple gem’s body felt against hers and Jasper couldn’t think of anything she could be enjoying more. She gently ran her fingers through Amethyst’s hair and let them rest on the purple gem’s hip. Jasper was overwhelmed by a feeling of pure bliss. She had known for a while that she had feelings for Amethyst, but she wasn’t sure they were real. She had wondered if she was just looking for comfort after spending such a long time underwater as Malachite. Or if she may just be looking for a physical connection. She didn’t have much experience in relationships and didn’t want to suddenly realize she had been mistaken. But this was something Jasper couldn’t be more happy waking up to. She inhaled deeply before resting her head on Amethyst’s shoulder. Instinctively, the purple gem pulled Jasper towards her in her sleep. Jasper sighed before closing her eyes and going back to sleep herself.


	4. Chapter 4

The knocking at Jasper’s door grew louder and louder. Amethyst slowly lifted her head from the pillow and looked around. She wasn’t sure what was going on. Jasper rolled over sleepily and opened one eye. “I’m coming in!” a voice shouted just before the door slammed open. Lapis stood in the doorway, arms crossed and eyebrows raised. “Hum. I was wondering when I’d find the two of you in bed together. Jasper, where’s my hairbrush? I know you have it.” Jasper glared at Lapis. 

“On the dresser,” she growled before pulled the blanket over her head. Lapis sauntered to the dresser and plucked her hair brush out of a pile before heading back to the door.

“Morning Amethyst,” she said sweetly. 

“Good BYE Lapis,” Amethyst replied. The water gem smiled before closing the door. Amethyst phased her tank top and shorts back on before crawling out of bed. “I’m going back to bed. If anyone needs me tell them to piss off.” Jasper sat up and stared at the purple gem. Amethyst leaned over and gave Jasper a kiss. “And I was enjoying myself too.” Jasper blushed, holding the blanket more tightly as she did.

“Uhmm, what now?” she said softly. Amethyst glanced back at Jasper.

“What do you mean?” She caught an uneasy look in Jasper’s eyes and turned back around. She sat next to the orange gem and ran her hand through Jasper’s hair. “You mean Lapis? Oh whatever. Someone is always in someone else’s bed. It’s no big deal.” Jasper bit her lip. “Oh.” Amethyst realized what she said and immediately regretted it. “Not what I meant, Jasper.” 

The orange gem phased her clothing back on and crawled out from under the blanket. “No, I get it. It’s fine.” She stood up and started to walk towards the bathroom but Amethyst caught her.

“Jasper,” Amethyst said more sharply this time. Jasper looked down into Amethyst’s eyes. “I meant that no one is going to think anything of it, no matter what they hear from Lapis. Not that THIS is no big deal.”

Jasper averted her eyes, “Yeah, I know what you mean Amethyst, really.” Amethyst leaned in and kissed Jasper, pulling the orange gem down against her.

“THIS,” Amethyst said raising her eyebrows, “is something maybe we should talk about.” 

Jasper pushed Amethyst against the wall and kissed her deeply. She had tried, she had tried to keep her distance from the purple gem because she knew it would only lead to another make-out session (at best). Up until now, Jasper had been tame. She had planned to try to control herself and take thing sort of slow at least, but she was still half asleep and she had Amethyst to herself. 

Jasper slid her hand underneath Amethyst’s shirt, letting her fingers trace over the purple gem’s ribs. She leaned down, trailing small bites across Amethyst’s neck before sucking softly on her collarbone. She could feel Amethyst shift her weight and lean against the wall. Jasper ran her hand down Amethyst’s back as they were caught in another kiss. “Ah!” the purple gem winced as she pulled away, dragging Jasper from her pleasure induced haze. She looked at Amethyst and loosened her grip. 

“Sorry,” Jasper said, remembering what she had done to Amethyst’s back. The orange gem took a step backward, still staring at Amethyst. “Maybe you should go …” 

“And what if I don’t want to?” Amethyst asked, glaring back at Jasper and taking a step towards her.

Jasper shrugged, “I just don’t want to … do something we might regret.” 

Amethyst wrinkled her forehead and sat down on the bed. “Did I screw up?” she asked genuinely, scratching the back of her head. Jasper was confused. She sat down next to the purple gem. 

“What do you mean?” 

Amethyst took a deep breath before she looked down at her hands. “We’re friends, right?” 

Now Jasper was more confused. “Yeah, we’re friends.” 

“I want more than that, Jasper.” Amethyst was startled by how fast the words came from her mouth. She couldn’t look up at the orange gem. She knew if she did, she would lose the nerve to finish what she was saying. “I’ve been DREAMING of having you in my arms for weeks. But it wasn’t like I set this up, I really was worried about you. You seemed like you needed to not be alone. I wanted to help. But, once we were in bed … … Fuck. I screwed up.” 

Amethyst stood abruptly. She glanced towards Jasper as she was about to leave and noticed the orange gem biting her bottom lip. Amethyst turned and placed her hand on Jasper’s leg. “What’s wrong?” Jasper looked into Amethyst’s eyes and laughed. Now the purple gem was the confused one. Jasper stood and laced her fingers between Amethyst’s before leaning down and pressing her lips against hers. When they finally broke their kiss, Jasper spoke softly. 

“Say it, Amethyst.” 

“Say what?” Amethyst asked blushing. Jasper laughed. 

“Say it, please? I need to know if this is real.” Amethyst blushed more, averting her gaze. 

“I don’t know what you mean.” Jasper tilted her head and pressed her lips to Amethyst’s once more. As their lips parted, Amethyst sighed. They stood together, both basking in the feeling of just being with each other. 

“Say it. Please, Amethyst?” Jasper asked again softly. 

Amethyst rested her head against Jasper’s, her mouth next to the orange gem’s ear. “Say what?” Jasper laughed again, almost to herself this time. They stood in silence for a while longer before Amethyst spoke again, “Are you sure?”  


Jasper’s face flushed, “Yeah, definitely. What about you?” 

Amethyst pulled Jasper closer, still holding her hands tightly, “Fucking positive.” Amethyst let go of Jasper’s hands, snaking her arms around the orange gem’s waist and pulling her body closer. Jasper put her arms around Amethyst’s neck, holding her tightly. “I think,” she whispered softly, “we’re mated.” 

Jasper smiled, burying her face into Amethyst’s shoulder as Amethyst softly kissed her neck. Amethyst closed her eyes and thought to herself, “You’re mine.”


	5. Chapter 5

Amethyst strolled back from Vidalia’s house smiling to herself. She and Jasper had agreed not to spend the entirety of the day together (they knew they would never leave each other’s arms if that was the case). Instead, they decided to reconvene at night when Steven slept and the gems did their own things. As she walked in the shallow water along the beach, Pearl walked up beside her.

“Amethyst, I haven’t seen you all day.”

“Hey P, what cha up to?” Amethyst asked staring at the sand. Pearl was suspicious. She knew Amethyst well enough to notice the wide grin plastered on her face. 

“Nothing, just thought I’d say hi. What’s going on with you?” 

Amethyst avoided eye contact, looking out towards the water. “Nothing much. Just visiting Vidalia.” 

Pearl stood in front of Amethyst and stopped her, placing her hands on the smaller gem’s shoulders. “What’s with the grin?” Amethyst slowly looked up at Pearl, biting her lip trying to keep from giggling. Pearl scanned the purple gem’s face. “Amethyst! Are you … dating Vidalia?” Amethyst pinched her lips closed and shook her head no. She looked like she might burst at any moment, but Pearl still wasn’t sure what was going on. She looked at Amethyst skeptically, “You look like a gem who’s found their … … mate …” Pearl trailed off as she saw Amethyst’s eyes light up. “No. No way. Really?” Pearl thought for a moment before giving Amethyst another skeptical look. “… Jasper? …” she drew out the name slowly. Amethyst looked away from Pearl, slightly embarrassed. “Amethyst! Are you sure? How do you know?”

“I’m sure,” Amethyst replied, her lip between her teeth. “100% sure … and so is she. We are definitely mated.”

“Amethyst, that’s … that’s great! I’m really happy for the two of you!” Pearl replied with a laugh. 

Amethyst smiled shyly. “Thanks P. So, how’s stuff with Lapis?” Pearl’s face flushed noticeably as Amethyst asked. “Oh come on. I know you two have been ‘dating’. And I can see the way she looks at you, she’s loving every second of it.” 

Pearl took a breath before answering, “We’re taking things slow. I don’t want to rush into anything.” Amethyst wrapped her arm around her friend’s waist.

“I wasn’t asking when you were having gemlings, I just asked how it was going.” Pearl’s blush darkened. 

“It’s good. She’s a lot of fun to be around. I … I really like her Amethyst.” Amethyst gave Pearl a slight hug. 

“I know you do, and I’m happy for you.” 

The two gems entered the beach house, arms wrapped around each other’s waists smiling. They were greeted by none other than Jasper and Lapis whispering to each other on the couch. As Pearl and Amethyst caught sight of them, they chuckled to themselves. “Aww P, looks like we weren’t invited to the secret meeting of the underwater club.” Lapis threw Amethyst a look that might have shattered another gem. “Oh cool it Lapis, it was only a joke. And after the way you woke me up this morning, I think you deserved it.” 

Pearl looked over at Lapis and then at Amethyst, “She woke you up?” Amethyst blushed slightly as she grabbed Jasper’s hand and pulled her towards the door of the temple.

“Uhmm, yeah. She might have barged into Jasper’s room this morning while I was asleep, but I think we should leave you two lovebirds alone don’t you think so Jasper? Okay then see you in the morning.” Amethyst spoke quickly, not bothering to take any breaths in between. As the temple door opened she looked over her shoulder. “Goodnight Lapis,” she said sweetly before she winked and the door shut behind her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter mentions vomiting.

Jasper closed her eyes and nestled her head closer to the fingers grazing through her hair. Amethyst smiled as she looked down at Jasper curled up, head in her lap. The orange gem looked quite content as Amethyst pressed her fingers softly into Jasper’s scalp. Amethyst was also content. She and Jasper hadn’t been together for long, but Amethyst prided herself in her life choices. They weren’t always good, (okay, they were often terrible,) but she always knew what she was getting herself into. But, she honestly believed this one to be a really good choice. She let her fingers run down Jasper’s ribs and over her stomach. Jasper gave a slight flinch that didn’t go unnoticed by Amethyst, but the purple gem didn’t comment. She went back to stroking Jasper’s wild hair, smiling at the content sigh Jasper let out. 

Jasper was enjoying the affection from Amethyst, happy to be with her mate. Unfortunately, she wasn’t feeling that great. The rhythmic feeling of Amethyst’s fingers in her hair was helping a little, but not enough to keep her from mapping out the path to the bathroom behind her closed eyes. Suddenly, Jasper got up and bolted to the bathroom. She realized it had been a terrible idea to wait as long as she did, but she had done a pretty good job of willing her stomach to settle at least for a little while. Jasper closed her eyes as she threw up. Until recently, she hadn’t been interested in human food, so vomiting was a fairly new sensation for her, and she was certain she disliked it, greatly. She coughed a few tiems before trying to regulate her breathing again. Dammit, she thought. Now she would have to explain to her mate why she was displaying symptoms of human illness. 

Amethyst watched as Jasper knelt in the bathroom, arms wrapped around her chest and eyes closed. She put the clues together pretty quickly, but she thought it would be better to see if Jasper wanted to volunteer to talk about it. Amethyst slowly approached the orange gem and placed her hand on Jasper’s shoulder, rubbing her back slowly with the other hand. She could feel Jasper relax under her fingers and the purple gem decided to reposition herself. She knelt behind Jasper with one arm loosely around her. Using her free hand, she continued to gently rub Jasper’s back. 

“It’s okay,” Amethyst softly whispered. Jasper threw up twice more before the episode ended with the awful sound of dry heaving on and off. Amethyst stood and retrieved a wash cloth for Jasper, kissing her shoulder as she handed it to her. “You alright?” Amethyst asked quietly. 

“Yea,” Jasper responded through clenched teeth, afraid to move her abdomen much for fear of starting another bought of dry heaving.

“I’ll be right back,” Amethyst said gently before she disappeared from the room. 

Jasper was only a little disappointed to feel the comfort of Amethyst’s hands leave her body. She knew her departure wouldn’t be for long, and the orange gem should use the time to figure out how she was going to explain this to Amethyst. She gingerly carried herself back to her bed and curled up under the blanket. She knew she wouldn’t vomit anymore, there was nothing left in her stomach, but the dry heaving was possibly the most uncomfortable and she didn’t want to start that up again. She wished Amethyst would hurry and get back. It was strange, she thought, to desire the comfort of another gem. It was an emotion Jasper didn’t have much experience with. 

But, what would she tell Amethyst? Jasper had a feeling she was going to need the purple gem’s support, but would Amethyst be willing to stay in a relationship with her? It didn’t take long for Jasper to realize she couldn’t think properly and gave up trying. Instead, she focused on breathing. She let the air come in and out of her lungs slowly, fully focused on the sensation of breathing. Jasper closed her eyes, continuing to take slow breaths and just beginning to wonder where Amethyst could have gone. She could have left the temple, but where would she have run off to? Was she looking for someone? Garnet maybe? Several unpleasant thoughts came to Jasper’s mind. As Amethyst returned to the room, Jasper really hoped she was alone. 

The purple gem placed an old TV table next to the bed with a cup and kettle of water. Amethyst began to pour water into the cup and the tea bag made itself visible, floating to the top. Jasper looked at the cup, wondering what it was and why Amethyst had bothered to get it. Amethyst pressed her face gently into Jasper’s neck and gave her a kiss.

“How ya feeling?” Anxious, Jasper thought to herself, but didn’t say anything. After a minute or two, Amethyst gently put her hand on Jasper’s back. “Drink,” she said equally as gently. Jasper looked at Amethyst curiously, but took the cup in her hand. “It’s tea. It will help with the nausea.” Jasper slowly drank the tea, feeling slight comfort in her mate’s attempt to take care of her. She wondered why Amethyst wasn’t asking her questions, wasn’t more suspicious of her un-gem-like symptoms. She finished the tea in silence, placing the cup on the table. Amethyst placed another tea bag in the cup and poured more water before moving the table slightly away from the bed. 

Jasper moved toward the head of the bed, giving Amethyst room to climb over her. She was beginning to worry about the silence, but started to feel better as Amethyst wrapped her arms around her. Amethyst began to softly kiss Jasper’s neck, loosely holding the other close to her. She felt Jasper begin to relax. “How ya feeling?” Amethyst asked again. 

“Better,” Jasper said after she thought about it. She placed her arms over Amethyst’s. Yes, sitting with Amethyst was better. Jasper didn’t feel like she needed to hide anything from her, another new feeling. She knew she had done a lot of terrible things to Amethyst and the others, but Amethyst had said she forgave her, and Jasper was starting to believe she had. But the orange gem worried that this new situation wouldn’t be something Amethyst and the others were willing to deal with. Jasper tried to put the thought out of her mind, at least she had Amethyst for now. 

After a moment of silence, Amethyst spoke again, “How far along are you?” The purple gem gently placed her hand over Jasper’s midsection. Surprisingly, Jasper felt relieved, no longer having to figure out how to tell Amethyst, though scared of how she might respond to the reply. 

Jasper rested her head on Amethyst’s shoulder and let out a sigh. “Five weeks.” 

Amethyst did some mental math, consulting the calendar in her head. “Lapis?” 

“Yeah,” Jasper replied with a considerably heavy heart. 

“It’s alright,” Amethyst said, giving the orange gem a gentle squeeze. She kissed Jasper’s cheek reassuringly. “Drink the other cup of tea.” Jasper leaned over and picked up the cup. 

After Jasper finished the tea, she curled up back in bed with Amethyst, feeling a little better now that she wasn’t keeping such a large secret from her. Amethyst affectionately placed her hands on Jasper’s stomach, holding the orange gem close. Jasper closed her eyes, happy Amethyst seemed to be taking this all so well, but still worried. It was a feeling Jasper was comfortable with, caution and skepticism. She always prepared herself for the moment when things went from okay to not. And she was afraid that moment could be any minute. 

“Does Lapis know?” Amethyst asked.

“Not yet,” Jasper said biting her lip. She could hear Amethyst sigh, obviously unhappy with her answer. 

“Jasper, she needs to know.” Jasper’s body tensed and Amethyst kissed her cheek to calm her. “Just relax okay?” Jasper tried to obey. “Lapis and Pearl both deserve to know. You have to tell them.”

“I know!” Jasper groaned. “I just don’t know how to tell her. It wasn’t planned. I doubt she even realizes it happened.” 

Amethyst shushed her, kissing softly at Jasper’s shoulder. “Tell me?” Amethyst asked gently. “Tell me what happened.” 

It had been sometime after Malachite unfused. Lapis and Jasper were both staying in the temple, trying to adjust to living with the other gems. Tensions were high between everyone and honestly, it was hard. They had gotten into a fight. Jasper really had no idea what they were even fighting over, she only remembers that Lapis was incredibly angry (and by that point, she was pretty irate herself). They decided to take their fight outside. The two gems had begun to shout and they thought better of bringing their personal problems into the already tension filled temple. Not to mention, they were quite happy having their own secrets from their new allies. With both gems at the height of their anger, the shouting match turned physical. Lapis pushed Jasper into some rocks, provoking the orange gem to slam her onto the ground. Lapis grabbed leverage in the only way she could think of at the time, pulling at Jasper’s hair. They were calculated actions, neither really wanting to hurt the other. Somehow, they ended up entwined on the forest floor, neither in control. In the heat of the argument, with both gems furious, their lips found each other. 

Jasper opened her eyes, cautiously looking at Amethyst, trying to read her facial expression. She wasn’t sure if Amethyst was angry or disappointed; or if she was just projecting. “It just sort of happened. I don’t really remember any of it and neither did she. But about two weeks later, I knew.” 

Amethyst gently rubbed Jasper’s back, “It’s okay,” she said, trying to convince Jasper she wasn’t mad. “Do you have a hard time telling you’re in heat?” 

“I’ve never really gone into heat,” Jasper sighed. “I mean, there’s never been other gems around that were suitable to mate with so …” 

“It’s been a non-issue,” Amethyst looked at Jasper sympathetically. “No, I get it.” She pulled Jasper closer. “How’s your stomach?” 

“It feels better,” Jasper said with a weak smile. 

“Good, but tomorrow you have to talk to Lapis.” Amethyst paused before adding, “Do you want me to be with you? Or do you want to do it alone?” Jasper cringed slightly. The thought of having to tell Lapis without the comforting feeling of Amethyst’s arms around her sounded like agony, but she knew it would be better if they were alone. Not to mention, she didn’t want to admit she was nervous. 

“I can talk to her alone.” They sat in silence for some time before Amethyst spoke again. 

“Do you mind if I tell Pearl? I know it’s your and Lapis’ news to tell, but I think she might take it better coming from me.” Jasper looked at Amethyst curiously, but didn’t ask any question.

“If you think it would be better, yeah, I trust you.” 

Amethyst ran her hand through Jasper’s hair. “You probably need to start eating.” She could see the confused look on Jasper’s face, clearly questioning why a gem would need to eat. “Some gems need to eat when they’re carrying.” Amethyst said gently. 

“How do you even know this?” Jasper laughed. “You’ve never been to Homeworld and you were made in a kindergarten.” 

“Don’t underestimate me.” 

“I wouldn’t dream of it. I know what you’re capable of!” Jasper replied resting her head against the purple gem’s shoulder. 

“When Rose was pregnant with Steven, we had a lot of books hanging around. From then on, I was curious, comparing gem reproduction with kindergarten production. I read a lot, now I know a lot,” Amethyst said with a shrug. “You’re going to be carrying at least a few quartz gemlings. You’ll probably need to eat. And the tea will help.” She kissed Jasper gently. “You also will need to sleep a little.” As she spoke, Jasper yawned. 

“Both seem a little more enjoyable now,” Jasper replied, falling asleep shortly after. 

When Jasper woke up, Amethyst wasn’t in the room. She wondered how long her mate had been gone just as Amethyst entered carrying a bowl. She crawled onto the bed and placed the bowl in Jasper’s lap. At a closer look, Jasper saw it was full of fruit. She couldn’t hold back a slight smile. Amethyst knew Jasper disliked most human food, but fruit was something she tolerated, almost enjoyed. 

“Eat,” Amethyst said with a smile. Jasper tried to frown at the purple gem, but obeyed none the less. She picked up a banana and started to peel it. “I spoke with Lapis and Pearl, well, mostly Pearl. I told her that you and I wanted to talk with them tomorrow afternoon. I asked her to come by your room. I thought Lapis could stay here and speak to you while I talked to Pearl. That sound alright with you?” 

“Yeah, sounds fine,” Jasper said after chewing thoughtfully on her banana. Amethyst took the bowl and moved it to the side table. 

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay,” Jasper said with a smile. As she did, Amethyst leaned over, kissing the orange gem deeply.


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning Jasper woke up feeling uneasy. She hadn’t slept well and she knew this conversation with Lapis wasn’t going to be enjoyable. She felt queasy, and paired with the anxiety, she knew vomiting was in her future. Just then, Amethyst came into the room with a kettle. Jasper relaxed. She was really grateful Amethyst was being as attentive as she was. It had been hard keeping the news to herself for the past three weeks. Jasper knew she was capable of handling anything that was thrown at her, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t rough sometimes. She was starting to see why other gems were paired. 

“Thanks Am,” Jasper sighed.

“Of course. I thought you might need some tea this morning,” Amethyst said, pouring Jasper a cup. “How are you doing?” 

“It will be alright,” Jasper said, but Amethyst heard the slight crack in her voice as she said it. 

“No matter what happens,” Amethyst said gently, “I’ll be right here.” She held out an apple to Jasper. “Eat.” They sat in silence as Jasper ate, Amethyst rubbing her back reassuringly. 

Lapis and Pearl knocked on Jasper’s door early in the afternoon. Amethyst had spent the last couple hours trying to talk Jasper out of her panic. Jasper insisted she was fine, but Amethyst could see behind the slate grey stare. Jasper was panicked, her eyes darted subtly to the door every few minutes and she repeatedly ran her nails up and down her arms. 

Amethyst pulled her into a kiss. “No matter what happens, okay?” Jasper nodded as they got up. “Hey guys,” Amethyst said as she opened the door. Pearl smiled brightly, holding Lapis’ hand. Lapis looked anxious and it seemed Pearl was trying to calm the water gem. They had been together just slightly longer than Jasper and Amethyst had, and if you asked Amethyst, it was a great thing for Pearl. Lapis got her to loosen up and to enjoy life more. 

Lapis smiled shyly, still not fully comfortable around the others yet, but abandoning her normal stoic look to please Pearl. “Pearl?” Amethyst spoke up, “can I talk to you in my room for a second? It won’t take long, but …” Pearl look startled, but she knew Amethyst well enough to just go with it.

“Sure,” she said, giving Lapis a quick kiss on the cheek. 

“We’ll be right back,” Amethyst replied as they walked out of the room. 

Pearl cautiously followed Amethyst to her room and waited for the purple gem to close the door. “What’s going on?” Pearl asked, a clear look of worry on her face. 

“Sit down,” Amethyst said gently. That of course only made Pearl panic more.

“Amethyst, what’s going on? Is everything okay? You’re scaring me.” 

“Shhh,” Amethyst said as she sat down next to Pearl. “I don’t know how to tell you this P, so I’m just going to say it. Jasper is carrying … and Lapis sired them.” Pearl looked shocked for a moment before Amethyst saw the subtle twitch that indicated the start of a meltdown. “Pearl, don’t!” Amethyst put her hands on Pearl’s arms, looking at her intently. “Stop. Let me explain. I knew you’d react like this and I didn’t want you to freak out Lapis. She’s good for you P! Just let me explain.” 

Pearl took a conscious breath and blinked a few times before focusing on Amethyst. Amethyst gave her the short version of the story and watched as Pearl knitted her brows. “Lapis didn’t know?” 

“No, Jasper is telling her right now. I thought I’d spare her the anxiety of having to tell both of you, and Lapis the experience of watching you have a breakdown.” Amethyst saw Pearl’s lip begin to quiver and she instinctively wrapped her arms around the thin gem. “I know P; I know it’s hard. But it’s gonna be hard for Jasper too. It isn’t like she knows what she’s supposed to be doing.” Pearl rested her head against Amethyst and closed her eyes. She thought about how long it had been, how long she had wanted to carry. Amethyst knew Pearl would be heartbroken and she didn’t want her to be forced to explain it all to Lapis if she wasn't ready. 

They sat in silence, Amethyst’s arm around Pearl, Pearl’s head on Amethyst’s shoulder, for what seemed like a long time before Pearl began to cry. Amethyst tightened her hug and softly tried to reassure Pearl. Eventually, Pearl pulled away and sat up. “Th-thank you Amethyst. I appreciate that you told me instead of allowing me to find out from Lapis.” 

“I’ve always got your back P, you know that,” Amethyst replied lovingly. 

Pearl used the back of her hand to wipe her eyes before speaking again, “Are you doing okay? Is Jasper okay?” Amethyst smiled, she knew it took a lot for Pearl to ask her that. 

“We’re doing fine. I know as much as you do about it, I’m taking good care of her.” Amethyst blushed as she continued. “She’s feeling really sick, but the tea is helping and I’ve convinced her to eat.” 

“Good,” Pearl smiled. 

“Pearl? Are you alright?”

“Fine, yes fine. I have to be strong for Lapis. I’m sure she is going to have mixed feelings about this.” Amethyst put her hand on Pearl’s shoulder. 

“You can be strong for each other. Just because you are supporting Lapis doesn’t mean you can’t have feelings of your own…” Amethyst trailed off as she heard a knock at the door. 

\---

Jasper intertwined her fingers in an elaborate knot as she sat down on the bed. It was better than making fists, which she realized only increased her adrenaline making her more nervous. She had no idea what to tell Lapis and she was afraid everything would just pour out if she didn’t work to speak coherently. Her thoughts never had a filter when she was nervous, which, in her case, was actually quite rare. But she and Lapis had a complicated relationship. They had forcibly bonded and Lapis already knew something was on Jasper’s mind. 

“Amethyst took Pearl away so you could talk to me, didn’t she?” Jasper looked at the floor avoiding eye contact. Another habit she indulged in only rarely when she was incredibly anxious. 

“Amethyst wanted to talk to Pearl about something,” she countered. It wasn’t a lie, but it didn’t mean Lapis wasn’t also correct. 

“What’s wrong?” The water gem asked as she sat next to Jasper on the bed. It was now or never. 

“Remember that fight we got into?” Lapis narrowed her eyes, she remembered it better than Jasper probably believed.

“Yes,” Lapis said after a while. “We yelled at each other, then … all but … err … mated.” Jasper’s eyes widened. She didn’t think Lapis remembered quite THAT much. 

“W-what do you mean?” Lapis forced a stream of air between her lips as she thought about her words. 

“We sort of lost control a bit. When we had it back together, we were both naked and it was clear we had … fooled around.” Jasper was getting anxious again, she knew she had to say something.

“We DID. We basically had make up sex, Lapis!”

Lapis got the deer in headlights look Jasper was afraid of, but it was quickly replaced by frustration and anger. “We WHAT?! Don’t say things like that, Jasper. I don’t know what you have against Pearl, but I don’t go around bothering you and Amethyst. We have our problems, but I’m happy.” 

“I’m telling you the truth, Lapis,” Jasper sighed softly. “I was in heat. I’m carrying, and they’re yours.” She turned away from the water gem trying hard to hold it together, wishing she had asked Amethyst to stay. Jasper usually didn’t lose it in front of others like this. Usually, an interaction like this would make her angry, irritated, but this whole situation just had her exhausted. 

“J-jasper? Are you … Really?” Jasper didn’t reply. “I … I’m sorry. I … I didn’t mean to accuse you like that.” Lapis placed her hand on Jasper’s shoulder. “Are you doing alright?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Jasper said as she looked at the floor. 

“Can I … do anything?” 

“No. I’m fine. I just thought you should know.” Both gems were silent for a while. 

Finally, Lapis spoke, “So, Amethyst knows?” 

“Yes, but only since yesterday,” Jasper said softly. Something finally clicked and the look on Lapis’ face changed to panic. 

“Is Amethyst telling Pearl?! Please say she isn’t. I have to be there to explain myself!” This time Jasper placed her hand on Lapis’ shoulder. 

“Amethyst asked if I wouldn't mind. She didn’t want to tell me why, but she said she wanted to be the one to tell Pearl. I didn’t want to pry, I trust her.” Another long pause between them before Jasper spoke again. “This doesn’t mean there has to be anything between us Lapis. It was just … the culmination of a really bad relationship; forced and angry. I hope you can forgive me for how I treated you in the past.” 

“I hope you can forgive me as well, Jasper,” Lapis said, placing her arm around Jasper in a half hug.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not my best chapter, but it ends with sex so ... just read it.

“It’s open,” Amethyst called towards the door. The door slowly opened and Lapis walked in, giving Pearl a sheepish look. Pearl immediately stood and hugged her reassuringly. Jasper made her way into the room as inconspicuously as she could, trying unsuccessfully not to worry Amethyst. She looked pale and very tired. The purple gem moved towards her, giving her a sideways glance before offering her hand. Jasper took it weakly and Amethyst knew she needed a break. “Sit down?” Amethyst asked her in a tone Jasper knew was in no way a request. Jasper sat on the edge of the bed as Amethyst disappeared to a corner of her room for a quick moment and returned with a pear. “Eat,” she said softly handing Jasper the pear. Jasper slowly bit into the pear and by her second bite, Amethyst was satisfied she would finish it. 

Pearl had watched the display while embracing her partner. She knew Jasper was worn out and thought she would repay Amethyst for her kind forethought to inform her of the news before Lapis could. “Uhmm,” Pearl said a little too loudly. She readjusted the level of her voice before continuing. “Lapis and I have a bunch to talk about. We’re going to retire to my room if that’s alright.”

“Yeah, we understand,” Amethyst said, shooting Pearl a look of gratitude. Pearl took her girlfriend by the hand and lead her out of the room mumbling a goodbye. She thought about addressing Jasper, but wasn’t sure it was appropriate. Amethyst closed the door behind them before focusing all her attention on Jasper. 

“What’s wrong?” Amethyst asked in a matter of fact tone. She knew something was not okay and she wanted Jasper to tell her what it was. 

“I dunno,” Jasper said. “I feel like everything is just hard to do. It was exhausting to just walk from my room to yours.” Amethyst smiled and gave Jasper a kiss. 

“I was worried it was something serious. I think you’re just tired.” 

“Huh?” Jasper frowned. 

“It’s a feeling you get when you’re running low on energy. You’ve been tired before,” Amethyst said playfully, rolling her eyes. 

“Yeah, but I haven’t DONE anything; why am I tired?” 

“You know, you’re adorable when you’re irritated,” Amethyst said running her hand through Jasper’s hair. Jasper blew at the strand of hair over her eye. 

“Be serious.”

“Okay, okay. Your gem can’t keep up with your energy needs as well as the needs of the little ones. That’s why you need to eat. If you’re tired, it means you need to eat and rest.” Jasper’s eyelids were heavy; she did feel like she needed to rest. 

“Take a nap with me?” She asked Amethyst in an almost inaudible voice. Amethyst smiled, she knew Jasper didn’t like admitting she was worn out after such little activity. But Amethyst was grateful the orange gem was planning to take a nap willingly. Amethyst crawled onto the bed and pulled back the blankets. 

“Come here,” she said pulling Jasper’s arm. She wrapped her arms around Jasper, gently rubbing her back as the orange gem rested her head against Amethyst’s arm. “Did stuff with Lapis go alright?” Jasper weakly nodded. “Good,” Amethyst replied, kissing Jasper’s head. “Sleep now, okay?” Jasper closed her eyes and drifted off. 

\---

When Jasper woke up, she was in a terrible mood. She felt sore and still quite tired, not to mention more unfriendly than she was used to feeling. She got up from Amethyst’s bed, working hard not to wake the purple gem. As she stood next to the bed, she watched Amethyst sleep, ensuring she hadn’t woken her mate. Satisfied Amethyst was sleeping, she returned to her own room. Something wasn’t right. She could feel knots in her abdomen tightening and another feeling she could only describe as a precursor to pain. She curled up on her own bed before the intense pain started. 

\---

Amethyst woke to find Jasper wasn’t around and immediately worried. She knew the orange gem was stubborn and independent, making it quite possible that Jasper just decided to get up and do … something, anything really. But Amethyst had a feeling that wasn’t what was going on. When Amethyst reached Jasper’s room, the orange gem was curled up tightly, her arms wrapped around her body and her knees pulled towards her chest. Her eyes didn’t open, even when Amethyst called her name. As Amethyst moved closer, she could hear Jasper growl faintly. 

“Jasper?” Amethyst called to her gently. “Look at me?” Amethyst hoped that would get a response, but she wasn’t really counting on it. When it didn’t work, she tried another method. She reached towards the orange gem and placed her hand on Jasper’s leg, but quickly pulled it back as she heard Jasper growl again. “Jasper, I’m here to help you. It’s Amethyst. Look at me, please?” 

Amethyst stared at her mate trying to come up with an idea. She found herself adopting a typical cool, quartz persona and over the years she realized just how valuable that was. One could imagine the consequences of an army seeing their leader panic during war, or even the gems seeing Garnet panic after a vision of the future. Those were things you couldn’t do, and Amethyst couldn’t let Jasper know how worries she was. 

She decided to approach the situation literally from another direction. Amethyst moved to the other side of the bed and rested her hand on Jasper’s shoulder. “Jasper,” she said quietly, listening for any response the other gem gave. Jasper didn’t growl, the response was more of a whimper. “Come on, I just need you to look at me Jasper, please?” Jasper finally opened her eyes, a distinct look of pain on her face. Her eyes followed Amethyst as the purple gem gently ran her finger over Jasper’s gem. When she concluded that was fully intact, Amethyst rested her hand against Jasper’s hip. She saw her mate cringe slightly at the contact and Amethyst was pretty sure she knew what was going on. 

“I know it hurts, but you’re okay. You just need to hang in there for a little longer, okay?” Amethyst laced her fingers through Jasper’s and tightly held her hand. It was clear by how sensitive Jasper’s abdomen was, that she was in the transition state. Amethyst hadn’t expected it to happen for another week. Fortunately, that meant Jasper wouldn’t feel sick any longer, unfortunately, she was in a lot of pain. Too much pain, Amethyst thought. She worried that a gem as strong as Jasper shouldn’t be in as much pain as she was, unless something else was wrong. She didn’t want to leave Jasper, but wondered if she really should get Garnet or Pearl. After a lot of thought, she reasoned that she would stay with Jasper for a little while longer before getting someone else if needed. 

Amethyst spoke softly into Jasper’s ear, “It’s gonna be over soon.” As she looked at her mate, she noticed Jasper’s expression had changed. She seemed much calmer and Amethyst wondered if that meant the pain level was going down. She let go of Jasper’s hand, repositioning herself next to the orange gem. “I’m proud of you, Jasper,” she whispered. “You’re doing so great.” The orange gem let out a contented but weak sound, similar to a purr. 

In another 10 minutes, Jasper had fallen into a restless sleep. She wasn’t in pain any longer, but she couldn’t say she felt well. Amethyst watched over her as she slept, hoping she was feeling better. Eventually, Jasper woke up, eyes tired and body sore. She looked towards Amethyst before closing her eyes again and resting her head on the purple gem’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’re awake,” Amethyst said softly. “I know you’re still tired, but talk to me. How are you feeling?” 

“Sore,” Jasper said with a sigh. “Weak? Tired.”

“Alright,” Amethyst laughed gently. “What can I do to help you? I want you to feel better.” Jasper slowly turned, facing Amethyst. 

“Stay?” She said quietly, curling up closer to Amethyst. 

“Of course.” She hadn’t left Jasper’s side since she found her. Jasper wasn’t sure why she felt so clingy, it wasn’t normally part of her nature. But she had noticed that the pain decreased the close Amethyst was to her. She wanted the purple gem to stay with her, she wanted the pain to stop, but she also wanted the support, the feeling of Amethyst by her side. 

“Talk to me Jasper.” Amethyst held her mate close, her hand placed lightly on Jasper’s abdomen. 

“I’m doing alright now, Am. It just hurt a lot earlier.” 

“You should have had at least another week before this transition.” Amethyst ran her fingers through Jasper’s hair. “But, the good news is the vomiting is over.” 

“Well, that’s something to celebrate,” Jasper said as she smiled. “Thank you, for … everything. I mean, I know it’s a lot to deal with. And you didn’t have to. But, you’re being really supportive and really sweet.” Amethyst kissed Jasper deeply, trying to get her to stop talking for just a moment. Jasper pulled away, knowing the purple gem’s motive. “Really, I mean it. Amethyst, you don’t have to be okay with all of this. I would understand if you … wanted out.” 

“Shut up,” Amethyst said before kissing Jasper once again. As their kiss broke, Jasper smiled back at her mate, but she felt conflicted. Part of her wanted to laugh, but the other part was nervous. She certainly didn’t want Amethyst to stay if she didn’t want to, but Jasper knew she could use Amethyst’s support. 

“I wouldn’t stay if I didn’t want to. I’m an AMETHYST, Jasper. I might not have emerged at my full height, but there’s nothing wrong with my gem. I know what I want and I know what I’m doing. You know exactly what it’s like. You work on instinct, and it hasn’t led you astray yet, has it?” Amethyst kissed Jasper again, this time brushing her tongue over the orange gem’s lips. “Mine hasn’t. I’m here with you because YOU, Jasper, YOU are my mate.” She ran her fingers across Jasper’s cheek and watched as the orange gem smiled slightly. “You want me to stay with you because it hurts less when you’re with me, right? And you want me to come to bed with you because you sleep better when I’m there. Because I’m your mate. And I don’t care who sired the gems you’re carrying, you are mine.” 

Amethyst bit Jasper’s neck gently, forcing a soft moan from Jasper’s throat. The orange gem’s eyes fluttered closed as Amethyst licked at Jasper’s neck. “Am … ugh … Amethyst! Don’t start this if you aren’t going to finish it.” Jasper looked at the purple gem with passion and lust. 

“I fully intend to finish this,” Amethyst replied. She slid her hands under Jasper’s shirt, resting them on her ribs. “Feeling alright?” Jasper phased off her clothing and pulled Amethyst into a kiss. 

“Feeling great,” Jasper replied pulling gently at Amethyst’s shirt. Amethyst phased off her clothing and arched her back, stretching and taunting Jasper. She leaned over and licked softly at Jasper’s nipples, causing the orange gem to whimper. Amethyst slowly planted kisses down the larger gem’s chest, following her ribs down to her hip. In minutes, Jasper was begging Amethyst to stop teasing her. The orange gem was slowly slipping completely out of control. She hadn’t realized how badly she wanted to feel Amethyst and it became all she could focus on. 

“Please babe,” Jasper whimpered as she tangled her fingers in Amethyst’s hair and pulled gently. “Don’t tease me.” Amethyst found Jasper’s whine endearing, smiling as Jasper worried her lip between her teeth. Jasper slid her hand between Amethyst’s legs, eyes locked with the purple gem. Amethyst groaned as Jasper slowly guided her to the entrance to her already quite wet core. 

“You sure you’re doing okay?” Amethyst asked again, breathing heavily. 

“Yes!” Jasper whined. “Please Amethyst!” She tried and failed to hold back the satisfied sigh-mixed-moan that built up in her throat, but Amethyst enjoyed the sound. She loved seeing Jasper’s eyes flutter closed and feeling her long hair under her fingers, the taste of sweat on Jasper’s soft skin, the feel of the orange gem’s body tightening around her, and the sound of her mate’s meek whimper almost begging for Amethyst. Jasper may have been more aggressive than Amethyst, but she was content submitting to the purple gem; as long as it involved eventually getting what she wanted. 

Amethyst licked down the side of Jasper’s throat before biting just above her vocal chords. Jasper’s eyes flickered closed as she moaned, driving her nails into Amethyst’ shoulders. As Amethyst let go of her grip, Jasper sighed contently not even bothering to fight back. The orange gem was happy to submit as the hormone rush clouded her brain. It wasn’t long before Jasper was close to the edge. She whimpered, holding Amethyst tightly and breathing heavily. But Jasper fought it, she often did. She begged Amethyst to come first, softly latching her teeth around the purple gem and pulling at her silvery locks. As requested, Amethyst came first, burying her head into Jasper’s neck, allowing her mate to hear her soft moaning. Jasper immediately followed, eyes tightly closed and fingers entwined in Amethyst’ hair.


	9. Chapter 9

When Jasper woke up, Amethyst’s arm was wrapped around her waist. She turned to face the purple gem and was greeted with a sly smile and a kiss. “Good morning,” Amethyst said as she pulled Jasper closer. The purple gem leaned in and licked softly at Jasper’s neck before biting gently at Jasper’s ear. 

“A-a-am-e-thysst!” Jasper hissed. Amethyst stopped and looked back at Jasper. 

“Yeah?” 

Jasper gave the other gem a playful growl in response, “What prompted THAT?” Amethyst growled back before kissing Jasper deeply. 

“It’s just so easy to get you … distracted,” Amethyst laughed. “And you look sexy. We should always sleep naked.” Jasper ignored her, closing her eyes and kissing the purple gem back. As Jasper opened her eyes again, Amethyst noticed how dark and dilated they looked. The sly smile returned to Amethyst’s lips as she reached to slide her fingers between Jasper’s legs. Instead, Jasper straddled Amethyst in one move before sliding her hands over the purple gem’s chest, running her thumbs softly over Amethyst’s gem. Her eyes narrowed as she playfully growled again at her mate. Jasper wasn’t sure what had gotten into her, but it was a feeling she only recently experienced; she needed Amethyst. 

Amethyst pulled Jasper’s face towards her own, kissing the orange gem. “What’s wrong?” she whispered in a teasing voice before running two fingers between Jasper’s thighs. Jasper was soaked. She let out a timid groan before Amethyst slid her fingers into Jasper’s core. She watched as her mate tilted her head backwards, clenching her teeth. Jasper leaned into Amethyst, who wrapped her free arm around Jasper, holding her close. Amethyst kissed Jasper’s neck and shoulder while curling her fingers into the sensitive spots of her core. The orange gem sighed contently between soft moans, holding herself close to Amethyst. “What got you so riled up this morning, babe?” Amethyst asked gently. Jasper moaned, not giving much else of a response. “Still worked up from last night?” Amethyst could feel Jasper’s body stiffen against hers. She could tell her mate was close. Amethyst pulled her head back to look at Jasper. She smiled and kissed the orange gem before whispering into her ear, drawing out her words. “Come for me, beautiful.” Jasper’s muscles tightened as she buried her face into Amethyst’s shoulder. Her muffled moans were soothed by Amethyst’s affectionate whispers. 

The cuddled for a while, enjoying the warm affectionate gem next to them. Jasper lost herself in thought, she wondered why she was feeling so many unfamiliar feelings. She wasn’t usually as affectionate or clingy as she has been recently, and she had never pinned a lover out of nowhere, begging to be taken. Was this all because of the gems she was carrying? Or was this something brought on by her relationship with Amethyst? After debating this with herself for a while, she realized it didn’t really matter.

Amethyst was feeling the changes in personality as well. She realized she was being abnormally possessive and protective of her mate. She knew fully well that Jasper could take care of herself, and for some reason she was still being overly attentive and affectionate. Jasper seemed to be content with it, Amethyst thought, so she supposed it wasn’t hurting anyone. She pressed her forehead into Jasper’s shoulder, “Come on … we need to shower.” They lazily got out of bed and headed towards the bathroom. Jasper was enjoying her first morning not feeling sick. 

She happily turned on the water and looked for the shampoo. “Let me wash your hair, Amethyst, it’s a mess.” Amethyst shrugged and turned, allowing Jasper to lather shampoo into her hair. 

\---

Amethyst knocked on Garnet’s door and waited for the fusion to answer. The tall gem stood in her doorway with an unreadable look on her face, as Amethyst had expected. “Hey G! Pearl and I were gonna go sit on the cliff above the temple. Wanted to know if you were interested in joining us.” 

Garnet adjusted her glasses and thought about it for a moment. “I’d love to, Amethyst.” They exited the temple into the beach house where Pearl waited. 

“Oh good, I’m glad you decided to join us,” she said to Garnet. They walked in silence to the cliff and sat down under one of the cherry trees. Amethyst was glad they were together. They hadn’t had much time to just enjoy each other’s company recently and she missed that. 

“Where’s Lapis?” Garnet asked Pearl. 

“Oh. She … she and Jasper went out to the beach to watch the water.” Pearl looked uncomfortable with her answer but she didn’t change it. Amethyst wanted to say something to comfort her. 

“I think they’re just enjoying the comfortable silence they have between them.” Garnet nodded. Pearl looked like she relaxed slightly. 

“How is Jasper doing?” Pearl asked. 

“She’s alright,” Amethyst answered, staring at the ground. “She, um, it’s moving faster than expected, but she’s doing alright.” Garnet nodded again before leaning back against the tree. Amethyst missed the time they spent together, the times when it was the four of them against the world. But the three of them against the world wasn’t too bad either. She moved to sit next to Garnet, her back also against the tree. She reached out to get Pearl’s attention, pulling the tall gem towards her lap. Pearl curled up beside Amethyst and placed her head in the other gems’ laps, allowing Amethyst to run her fingers through the ginger hair. It was nice to be together. 

\---

Amethyst rummaged through her room, looking for her pile of books. She knew she had the old Homeworld books about gem reproduction somewhere. If she had miscalculated Jasper’s first transition, she was likely to miscalculate the second. And Jasper should be able to learn about this information herself if she wanted to. Finally, in a pile towards the back of her room, Amethyst found the books. She pulled them out one at a time, five in total. A piece of paper dropped from one of the books as she stacked them. Her heart sank slightly as she picked it up. It was a picture, a very old one, of her, Pearl, Garnet … and Rose. Amethyst stared at the picture for a minute, trying to absorb the memories it held. Finally, she walked over to a small shelf that held various pictures and things she wanted to remember. She wedged the picture into the frame of a picture of her and Pearl before collecting the books to bring to Jasper. 

\---

Amethyst brushed Jasper’s hair out of her face before giving her a kiss. Jasper was sitting on the bed in a sea of pillow, knitting her eyebrows at Amethyst. “I know, but you don’t really have a choice,” Amethyst laughed. Jasper rubbed at her stomach gently. She was now 12 weeks along and it was clear her stomach was swollen with the gemlings she carried. “Come sit with me and I’ll rub your back, how does that sound?” Jasper pouted, it clearly wasn’t going to make up for her being bedridden for the next 3 weeks, but what else could she do. She moved towards the center of the bed, allowing Amethyst to sit behind her. 

The two had read the books Amethyst dug up on gem reproduction. Between Jasper, Amethyst, and Pearl, they had realized Amethyst’s original calculations weren’t properly converted to represent time passing on Earth. Jasper had in fact transitioned right on time, and had recently gone through the last transition. She only had about three more weeks and Amethyst had just told her she would be all but bedridden for those weeks. Amethyst pushed her thumbs into Jasper’s shoulders and the orange gem let out a soft yelp. She kissed Jasper’ neck before she continued a little softer this time. 

After a few minutes of silence, Amethyst spoke. “How are you feeling?” 

“Bed rest Amethyst?” Jasper groaned. “Really? You know I can’t just stay here for 3 weeks!” Amethyst shushed the orange gem, continuing to massage her shoulders. 

“I meant physically, how are you feeling?”

“Like I don’t need 3 weeks of bed rest,” Jasper grumbled. 

“’Okay, okay, I get it.” Amethyst wrapped her arms around Jasper and rested her hands on the orange gem’s stomach. Jasper leaned back and put her head on Amethyst’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I know it sucks, but it isn’t really total bed rest. And I think you’re going to be pretty tired anyway, so you’re probably going to want to sleep.” 

“Ugghhh!!!” Jasper was clearly unhappy and she felt like Amethyst didn’t fully understand. 

“Jasper, listen to me for a moment will you please?” The orange gem turned her head and pressed her face into Amethyst’s neck. 

“Yes, babe.” Amethyst laughed, knowing Jasper was pouting even though she couldn’t see her face. 

“You are exhausted right now just by walking from your room to the beach house. You sleep through most of the night and a few hours during the day. And you spend a few hours a day on the couch watching TV and cuddling with me. This bed rest thing isn’t much different from what you’re already doing!” Jasper let out another discontented noise, but Amethyst knew her reasoning was sound. 

“I’m just …” Jasper pulled away from Amethyst so she could look at her. “I’m restless. The cuddling is nice, but I’m a fighter, Amethyst. I wasn’t built to just sit still.” Amethyst laughed and kissed Jasper. 

“Well, first of all, you need to save your energy for birthing. And once the gemlings are here, I’m sure there will be a couple of trouble-making jaspers that I will remind you ‘weren’t built to just sit still’.” Jasper bit Amethyst’s shoulder for the sassy reply. “But really babe, I know you’re restless, but you don’t have the energy to go do the things you are saying you want to do.” Amethyst softly rubbed Jasper’s stomach, kissing her mate’s shoulder. “It won’t be much longer. And once you’re feeling up to it, we can go to the battle arena and spar.” Jasper smiled, Amethyst always knew how to make her feel better. 

“Promise?” 

“Of course. If it will make you happy, I’m happy to do it. And you know I like fighting you.” 

Jasper looked at Amethyst skeptically, “Full on battle?” 

“No,” Amethyst said after kissing her mate. “And here’s why. If we end up having to regenerate, we have just left a bunch of gemlings for Pearl, Lapis, and Garnet to take care of along with Steven.” 

Jasper frowned, “Yeah, you’re right. That would be unfair of us. Okay.” 

“I love your ridiculousness, you know that, right?” Jasper smirked back at her. 

“I am not ridiculous in any sense of the word. But yes, I know you love me. And you should.” Amethyst rolled her eyes as Jasper nestled her head into Amethyst’s neck. “And I love you.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gem babies! (this chapter is about gemling birth)

Jasper was anxious and she wished she could verbalize her anxiety to Amethyst. She had under a week before the gemlings would be welcomed into the temple and she wasn’t sure she was ready. As Amethyst predicted, Jasper was exhausted and didn’t need to be bedridden to want to rest. But that meant Amethyst was off taking care of things and it left her alone in her room without her mate. Jasper really needed Amethyst with her, but she couldn’t ask the purple gem to just drop everything for her. She knew she was demanding already, and she didn’t want to add to Amethyst’s responsibilities. As Jasper pondered her options, Amethyst came into the room holding something behind her back. Jasper tilted her head, “What cha got?” Amethyst walked sideways, preventing Jasper from seeing what she was holding. 

“Nothing!” She teased. Jasper was tired and couldn’t even argue with the purple gem. She just shook her head and laid back against the pillows. Amethyst shoved whatever she was holding into a drawer before coming to bed. “A present for you for later. You’ll like it, I promise. But it’s a surprise and I have to find the right time.” Jasper just nodded, curling up into Amethyst. 

Amethyst knew Jasper was having a hard time and that she wasn’t telling her all the things that troubled her. She brushed Jasper’s hair out of her face softly. “I love you,” she said gently and Jasper smiled. “What’s on your mind? You have that look, like something is wrong that you don’t want to tell me about.” Jasper didn’t answer, she didn’t want to bother Amethyst with anything else, and she knew the purple gem would see through any response she gave. Keeping quiet was her best option. “Jasper, talk to me. I want to know … I want to help.” 

“You’re already helping enough.”

Amethyst affectionately ran her finger over Jasper’s gem. “I’m a big kid, I can decide if I can do more or not. I think I at least can listen to what's worrying my mate, don’t you think so?” 

Jasper sighed,” Yeah, you’re right I suppose.” She repositioned herself so it was easier to face Amethyst. “I … I’m worried. I’m not sure I’m ready for … for any of this. And I don’t know how to raise gemings, what if I do something wrong?” 

Amethyst was surprised to see a tear roll down Jasper’s cheek and reached up to clear it. “I understand,” Amethyst said softly. “It is a lot to think about. But I really believe you’re going to be great. You're smart and your instincts are great. And if it’s too much at any point, I’ll be right here. I’ll help you, I’ll support you, okay?” She kissed Jasper and ran her thumb over her cheek. “Have you thought about what you want to do about their birth?” 

“I … I just want you there. Is that alright?” 

Amethyst smiled encouragingly, “You can have whoever you want there, it’s up to you, babe. If you want Lapis here too, or Lapis instead of me, or if you want to be alone, it’s up to you.”

“I only want you.” 

“Okay. Than it will be you and me.” She paused before she spoke again. “And the others will help raise them; you aren’t going to be alone.” She kissed Jasper’s forehead. “You’re not alone, babe.” 

\---

For the next couple of days, Amethyst made sure to stay with Jasper as much as she could. She only ran short errands, like collecting towels and washcloths for the gemlings, or getting food for Jasper. She knew her mate was feeling anxious and she wanted to make sure she was there if Jasper needed anything. Amethyst was also feeling territorial and possessive. She wanted to be near Jasper and didn’t like the idea of anyone else anywhere near the gem’s room. She knew the feeling would pass once the gemlings were born, but for now, it was complimented by Jasper’s constant need for affection and her anxiety. Amethyst watched Jasper’s restless sleep. The orange gem turned and whimpered, Amethyst ran her fingers over her mate’s bare back. Jasper had taken to sleeping naked as she felt more comfortable. Amethyst’s fingers danced over Jasper’s spine, trying to calm her, but it didn’t work. Amethyst was pretty sure the gemlings would be here very soon. 

Jasper woke feeling uncomfortable and moody. She rolled over and looked at Amethyst who was sitting up next to her. “Hi, love,” Amethyst said to her. Jasper frowned. She was feeling too many things. She was uncomfortable, she was worried, anxious, scared, tired, sore, frustrated, and so many more. Amethyst could tell Jasper needed her attention as well as a distraction. She moved so she was sitting against the headboard and pulled Jasper into her lap. The orange gem reluctantly moved, resting her back against Amethyst’s chest. “How are you feeling?” Amethyst asked, gently resting her hands on her mate’s abdomen. Jasper tilted her head back on Amethyst’s shoulder. 

“Uncomfortable,” was all she said in reply. 

Amethyst kissed Jasper’s neck, whispering softly to her, “I think I can help with that.” She slid one hand down Jasper’s thigh, pushing her legs gently apart while running her finger over her mate’s core. Jasper inhaled through clenched teeth, surprised by how intense it felt. Amethyst noticed. “Shh, relax. I’ll go slower.” She tried again, this time more slowly, eliciting a moan from her mate. Amethyst held Jasper close as she slowly ran her fingers over her mate’s incredibly sensitive body. Jasper sighed, it felt good, incredibly good, to have Amethyst’s hands on her. The orange gem reached down, resting her hand on her mate’s and guiding her to more sensitive parts. Amethyst pressed her lips to Jasper’s ear and whisper “You sure?” Jasper nodded. 

Amethyst slowly slid one finger into Jasper’s core. She could feel the weight of the gemlings pressing back as Jasper shifted in Amethyst’s lap. As she pressed against Jasper, her mate moaned loudly, tipping her hips forward. Amethyst laughed, “I’m right here, I’m not going anywhere.” Amethyst slowly added another finger and pressed them both against the front wall of Jasper’s body. Her mate moaned deeply, burying her head into Amethyst’s neck. The purple gem continued to softly press her fingers into the sensitive tissue. After a while, Amethyst began to feel her mate’s body tense. She held Jasper closer, pressing harder into her body. Jasper’s release was slow and it came in waves. She begged Amethyst not to stop as she reached down and ran her own finger over her clit. As she did, the waves intensified and Jasper’s moans grew louder. Suddenly, Jasper’s entire body tensed and relaxed in Amethyst’s arms. Jasper looked up towards Amethyst, whimpering slightly as Amethyst pulled her fingers from Jasper’s core. The purple gem held her mate, whispering to her as she fell back to sleep. 

When Jasper woke again, she was in pain. She felt Amethyst’s hand on her back and she immediately felt calmer. “Am?” She whispered. 

“I’m right here,” she replied, trailing her hands down Jasper’s stomach. “What hurts babe?” Jasper guided one of Amethyst’s hands to her lower back. 

“It’s gonna be soon I think.” 

Amethyst pressed her hand gently against Jasper’s back. “Yeah, I think you’re right. I’m right here though, you’re gonna be great.” She kissed Jasper’s head. “What do you think they’ll look like?” Amethyst asked, trying to give Jasper a distraction. 

“Water gems or jaspers I guess. I’m not sure.” Amethyst smiled. 

“So, they will be beautiful and troublesome.” Jasper smiled, letting Amethyst nip at her neck softly. The uncomfortable feeling had turned to a dull pain that she was able to ignore and Jasper fell asleep for a little while, as Amethyst continued to watch over her sleeping mate. 

Jasper woke yet again to a sharp pain. She let out a meek cry as Amethyst put her arms around her. “It’s okay,” Amethyst said, stroking her mate’s hair. “Do you want to stand up?” Jasper wasn’t sure, she didn’t know what she wanted. She looked up into Amethyst’s eyes and the purple gem could tell she wasn’t going to be able to make that decision. Amethyst got up and helped Jasper off the bed. “You’ll feel better if you’re standing.” She walked Jasper over towards the dresser, letting the orange gem lean over it onto a pillow. She stood behind her and rubbed her back. “is this better or worse?” Jasper cringed as her muscles tightened. As the contraction ended she sighed. 

“Standing is better,” she said softly. Amethyst kissed Jasper’s shoulder as she rubbed her lower back. 

“You’re doing great.” 

 

It wasn’t long before Jasper was actively in labor. Amethyst had checked to make sure she was ready before the orange gem knelt to push. Amethyst knelt in front of her, allowing Jasper to rest her head against Amethyst’s shoulder. “You’re still doing great, Jasper,” she said as she rubbed Jasper’s back. Jasper whimpered as another contraction started. She focused on pushing, allowing Amethyst to hold her hand between the orange gem’s thighs, guiding the first gemling into the world. Amethyst took a washcloth and gently wiped the little one clean before wrapping her and placing her in the blanket lined basket. As she returned her attention to her mate, Jasper looked up at her. 

“She hasn’t made any noise,” Jasper said anxiously. Amethyst kissed her cheek. 

“Yes, she has love. Lots of peeping, chirping, and soft mewing. But as soon as she was dry and warm, she fell asleep.” Jasper pressed her forehead into Amethyst’s shoulder as another contraction started. “You’re doing a great job love. You brought your first beautiful gemling into the world.” Amethyst reached down to help with the next. Gemling number two was cleaned and placed in the basket with her sister. “I’m so proud of you, Jasper,” Amethyst whispered. “Are you feeling okay?” Jasper whimpered softly as Amethyst wrapped her arms around her. “I’ve got you, love, you’re doing great.” Two more gemlings were born without incident, cleaned and left to sleep with their sisters. “How are you feeling?” The orange gem was clearly exhausted. 

“I’m okay,” she said between breaths. Amethyst pressed her fingers as gently as she could into Jasper’s stomach.

“Seems like two more love, can you do it?” Jasper nodded, clinging to Amethyst. The next contraction came and so did the next gemling, though faster than the previous ones. “Just one more babe, then you can rest okay? One more.” Amethyst kissed Jasper’ neck softly, whispering to her encouragingly. 

It took a bit, but finally, Jasper’s last gemling was born into the world. Her eyes fluttered as Amethyst cleaned her, but unlike her sisters, she didn’t sleep. Amethyst helped Jasper back to bed, letting the orange gem curl up in her mountain of pillows and blankets. She quickly fell asleep, not surprisingly. Amethyst turned her attention to the gemlings. 4 jaspers, each with their gem square in the middle of their backs, 3 solid orange and 1 striped. 2 water gems, 1 looking identical to Lapis while the other had Jasper’s stripes and gem location. The later was also the last born into the world, and unwilling to sleep. She sat up in the basket, peeing and chirping until she was picked up. 

Amethyst picked her up and brought her to the bed while she moved the basket closer to Jasper. “Hi little one,” Amethyst said quietly. “Aren’t we feisty? I have a feeling you are going to be a fighter.” The gemling sat in Amethyst’s hands listening to the sound of the purple gem’s voice. She mewed in response contently before curling up and falling asleep. Amethyst smiled, “You just wanted attention before you went to sleep huh? Alright sweetheart, back to your basket with your sisters.” She returned the last gemling to the basket and curled up beside Jasper. Her mate stirred only slightly, but Amethyst could tell she wasn’t quite asleep. “They are all fine love, all 6 beautiful little ones are fine and asleep. Now you should sleep.” Amethyst kissed Jasper softly before wrapping her arms around her. She heard Jasper sleepily whisper ‘I love you’ before she fell asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Garnet watched Pearl anxiously pace the living room while Lapis stared out the window. “Relax everyone,” Garnet said. “They are all fine. Jasper and the gemlings are sleeping, Amethyst is watching over them.” Pearl stopped mid pace.

“Why hasn’t Amethyst come to tell us this? Should we check on them?” Garnet’s lip twitched. 

“Leave them alone. Jasper is exhausted and Amethyst is protecting her mate. They will come out when they’re ready.” Pearl looked towards Lapis, the water gem looked dejected. Pearl approached her, placing her hand on her shoulder.

“Let’s go Lapis. Let’s take a walk on the beach.” Pearl took Lapis’ hand and laced her fingers between the water gem’s as she led her out of the beach house into the brightly moonlit night. 

\---

Jasper spent the next couple days sleeping mostly. The whole experience was exhausting and she hadn’t quite recovered. The little time she was awake she was either eating (because Amethyst made her) or watching the gemlings sleep. They each were given names: The 3 solid orange jaspers were Storm, Jewel, and Lake. The striped one was Jay. The solid blue water gem was Laz, while the striped water gem was Sky. Amethyst spent most of her time with Jasper, leaving her mate’s side only when it was absolutely required. 

After 5 days, Jasper felt significantly better. She was awake and interacting with her gemlings and she seemed ready to introduce them to the other gems. Amethyst kissed her forehead gently as they watched the little ones in the basket. Sky, who was determined to find a way out, finally flipped head first over the edge. Amethyst and Jasper were interested in what the small gem would do next, so they just watched. With poor coordination, Sky somehow managed to make her way to Amethyst. She plopped herself next to the purple gem’s leg and chirped until she was picked up. “Hello my dear,” Amethyst said to the small gemling in her hands. She mewed at the sound of Amethyst’s voice. “That was a dangerous little stunt you just pulled,” Amethyst replied, affectionately running her finger over Sky’s gem. Sky continued to mew softly until she fell asleep. Jasper just laughed. 

“She seems to really like you.” Amethyst leaned over and kissed her mate. 

“She’s just like her mother, an attention seeker who wants to cuddle.” Amethyst gently returned Sky to the basket with her sister, even though they both knew she would find her way out again in no time. “Why don’t you go take a shower?” Amethyst said to Jasper. “You’ll feel better. And when you’re done I’ll brush your hair if you want.” Jasper bit her lip. She knew as soon as she left to shower, the gemlings would wake up. They never slept for long and they never allowed her to get anything productive done. 

“But I need to watch them,” she said softly.

“I can watch them babe, it’s no problem.” Amethyst caught the uneasiness in Jasper’s eyes. “What’s wrong, Jasper?” 

“You’ve just done so much already,” the orange gem sighed. “I don’t want to keep asking you.” It was Amethyst’s turn to sigh. She knew Jasper was having a hard time adjusting to this new life, but this needed clearing up. And Amethyst had thought she was pretty clear about it the last time they spoke. She moved the gemlings’ basket to the floor before pulling Jasper towards her. 

“I’m so proud of you Jasper. You’ve been really amazing through all of this. Even though it was your first time, you welcomed a beautiful litter into the world, like an expert. I know you didn’t have their sire with you, but you still were great; 6 beautiful gemlings.” Amethyst kissed the orange gem softly. “I’m not their sire, but I am your mate. I was there with you while you were sick and there when you moved from one transition to the next. You … didn’t look for Lapis when you wanted comforting, you looked for me. Your instincts told you that you needed to have your mate close, and mine told me to protect and care for YOU. It didn’t matter who sired the gemlings, it mattered that MY mate was carrying them. We’ve been in this together since week 5 when you told me. They’re just as much my responsibility as yours. So, when you need a break, for whatever reason, why wouldn’t I be here to help? You aren’t asking me to do things as a favor to you, it’s my job to be there for my mate, and that’s what I’m doing.” Amethyst gently wiped the tear that started down Jasper’s cheek. “Go take a shower babe. I can handle 6 sleepy newborns for under an hour. I promise.” 

When Jasper returned from the shower, Amethyst was sitting cross legged in the middle of the bed with the basket of gemlings next to her, Sky curled up in her lap. Jasper smiled at the sight, shaking her head at her mate. “Three times, Jasper. Sky crawled out of the basket and into my lap three times. I decided it would be easier to just let her stay.” Jasper gently picked Sky up and placed her into the basket. 

“Well, now it’s my turn to have your attention.” She handed Amethyst a comb and sat on the floor in front of her. Amethyst gently combed out the tick white mound of hair, watching as Jasper smiled up at her. 

“Are you ready to introduce them to the others?” Amethyst watched as Jasper’s expression changed. The orange gem tried to keep smiling, but Amethyst could once again tell something was wrong. “We don’t have to do it now, we can do it when you’re ready, okay?” 

“No,” Jasper said softly. “I’m ready. I just … worry about how Lapis is going to take all of it.” Amethyst set the comb down and slid her hand over Jasper’s chest. 

“Lapis will be fine. She has Pearl, and Pearl no doubt is taking really good care of her. We all take care of each other.” Jasper nodded. 

“Okay. I think I’m ready then.” Amethyst smiled. 

 

“Remember, if you want to come back, anytime, just let me know and we’ll head back. Everyone knows you’re still recovering.” Jasper walked behind Amethyst, who carried the gemlings. She wasn’t really ready to see everyone’s faces, but she knew she had to do it at some point. They exited the temple and as Amethyst expected, everyone was sitting in the living room. Steven jumped to his feet first. 

“AMETHYST!! JASPER!” Amethyst smiled but shushed the boy. 

“The gemlings are sleeping, you need to be quiet.” She placed the basket in the middle of the table. Steven was of course the first to peer into the basket smiling broadly as he did. 

“They’re beautiful!” Jasper stayed behind Amethyst, slightly anxious. As if Amethyst could tell what was on Jasper’s mind, she spoke softly to Steven. 

“Let them sleep, alright? They’re still kind of little for picking up.” Steven nodded and Jasper let out an audible sigh of relief. Lapis walked over next, observing the gemlings with what appeared to be a stifled smile. 

“What are their names?” She asked gently. Amethyst turned to look at Jasper. She thought the orange gem would want to answer that. Jasper listed their names in the order they slept in the basket. 

“Storm, Laz, Lake, Jewel, Jay, and Sky.” Pearl had stood up to see the gemlings as their names were announced. 

“Lapis … she …” Her voice trailed off as she noticed that Laz looked just like Lapis. Jasper smiled at Lapis.

“Yeah. Laz looks just like her sire.” Amethyst reached for Japser’s hand and gave the orange gem an affectionate squeeze. Garnet spoke up from her seat on the couch. 

“And Jay looks an awful lot like her mother.” 

Amethyst led Jasper to the couch to sit with garnet, while Pearl and Lapis sat on the floor with Steven. They spent some time talking about nothing, as friends tend to do when they gather. Somewhere mid conversation, Sky woke up again chirping as she began to climb out of the basket. As if second nature to her, Amethyst reached out her hands, catching the gemling as she tumbled towards the table. Knowing it was fruitless to put her back into the basket, Amethyst put Sky down in her lap. The little one peeped and chirped until Amethyst acknowledged her. “Shh, yes little one. I can hear you. Go to sleep now.” Sky mewed before curling up and going back to sleep. When Amethyst looked up, she realized that everyone had been watching. Her face turned a deep purple as she looked towards Jasper. 

“Sky requires a lot of attention,” Jasper said to no one in particular. “She prefers to sleep in Amethyst’s arms than with her sliblings.” Steven smiled radiantly. 

“That’s adorable!” Amethyst decided not to make eye contact and to focus on Sky. She affectionately ran her finger over the gemling’s gem and waited for a content mew in response. When it was clear Sky had returned to sleep, Amethyst returned her to the basket.

“Does she sleep with you as well?” Pearl asked, looking inquisitively towards Jasper. 

“She will,” Jasper replied. “But it is clear she gets out of the basket to look for Amethyst.” 

“Does that bother you?” Pearl asked before she could think about what she was saying.

“Not at all,” Jasper replied before Pearl could take back her question. 

Garnet ended the conversation by turning to Jasper. “They are all beautiful. You should be very proud, Jasper.” 

\---

Amethyst and Jasper sat on the bed in Amethyst’s room, both quietly watching the basket of gemlings. Talking with the other gems had clearly worn Jasper out as she rested her head on her mate’s shoulder. Sky chirped again, tumbling out of the basket and looking for Amethyst. The purple gem reached out her hand, letting the gemling find her own way to it. Once she did, she gave a short affirmative, “I know Sky,” before the little one curled up to sleep again. “Does it bother you?” Amethyst asked softly. Jasper lifted her head, realizing Amethyst was speaking to her and not Sky.

“Huh?” Amethyst ran her finger along Sky’s gem, eliciting a soft mew. 

“Does it bother you that one of your gemlings seems so attached to someone who isn’t you or their sire?” Jasper returned her head to Amethyst’s shoulder, gently leaving a kiss on the purple gem’s neck. 

“You can’t have it both ways, Am.” Amethyst turned towards the orange gem, unsure of what she meant. “They can’t be your litter while simultaneously not being your litter.” Jasper scooped Sky up and placed her back into the basket before pulling Amethyst closer to her. “You want me to feel like these gemlings aren’t a burden on you, like they aren’t an extra thing for you to deal with. You want me to believe that because you are my mate, and they are my litter, that makes them your litter and your responsibility.” She kissed Amethyst’s cheek. “If that’s so, then why would it bother me that one of our gemlings would rather sleep in your arms than in her basket? You were there to bring her into the world, you bathe her, you comfort her, you play with her, all just as much as I do. Of course she loves you.” Amethyst reached towards Jasper’s hair and tangled her fingers in the soft white locks. As she did, she kissed the orange gem deeply. Jasper smiled, “So are they your litter or aren’t they?” Jasper asked softly. 

Amethyst pressed her forehead against Jasper’s. “They are as much my litter as you are my mate.”


	12. Chapter 12

The warp pad activated and all the gems, the gemlings, Steven and Connie arrived at the battle arena. The gemlings weren’t technically gemlings any longer. Really, they were more like human 7 year-olds. Today was the weekly sparing practice for the entire team. Jasper’s litter had all summoned their weapons (or powers as they might be) which had dictated who they trained with. 

Lapis was training Lake and Laz. Laz, the water gem who looked like her sire, had water powers, just like Lapis. Lake, a solid orange jasper with her gem on her back could summon wings made of water. Lake didn’t have the power to control water, but she had the raw power of a quartz. Lapis intended to teach the gems agility, speed and precision. 

Garnet and Jasper were training Jasper’s daughters Jewel and Storm. Both solid orange jaspers were able to summon impressively accessorized pauldrons covering their shoulders and offering some protection to their gem. Each also possessed the same strength as the other jaspers in the family. Garnet and Jasper were teaching the gems how to focus their strength and power. 

Pearl had Steven and Connie, as well as Jay, the striped orange jasper whom everyone was surprised to see could retrieve a two handled staff from her gem. Pearl intended to teach Jay how to wield her staff as she did her spear and as Connie was learning with her sword and Steven with his shield. 

And finally, Amethyst had her sweet shadow, Sky. She was able to manifest a three tailed flail as her weapon. With a form similar to Lapis (but with Jasper’s stripes and gem placement), she didn’t have the quartz power on her side, but she had focus and she WAS strong. Amethyst was teaching Sky judgement; when to fight, when to doge, when to summon her weapon, and when and how to strike. 

Every week, practice started the same way. The students would line up and start their warm ups behind their teachers. After that were drills, at random the gems would call out a drill and the students would respond, honing focus and speed. Eventually, in an attempt to stop the student from trying to predict what drills would be called, Amethyst decided to enact punished every time someone did the wrong drill. After drills, each group would split up to practice. Finally, before they finished, they would spar in pairs or in groups. 

Today, Jay and Sky (led by Amethyst) would be sparing with Storm and Laz (led by Jasper). The gems bowed to each other before getting into a battle stance. At the signal, Jay called her weapon while Sky moved to an active battle stance. Storm and Laz went on the attack. They chose raw power and force, Storm going after Sky and Laz going after Jay. Amethyst’s team evaded quickly, one jumping and one rolling to safety. Storm went after Sky once again, but the water gem managed another tuck and roll dodging Storm’s swing. After two or three different attacks, Storm hadn’t managed to land any on Sky and she let her anger get to her. She let out a fierce growl of frustration before charging at her sister. Meanwhile, Laz wasn’t getting anywhere with Jay either. Her water attacks either missed completely or were dodged. She also was getting frustrated. She summoned all her energy to send a large wave towards Jay. In the seconds before Jasper’s team’s attack hit, Jay and Sky switched weapons. Sky swept Jay’s staff under Storm’s feet while Jay spun Sky’s flail through Laz’s water attack. As Jasper’s team went down, Jay and Sky switched back their weapons and held their sisters to surrender. 

“Time!” Garnet called to the gems. They bowed to each other before running back to their lead. 

“Well done!” Amethyst congratulated her team. “When did you guys work on that move?” 

“It was Sky’s idea!” Jay spoke up cheerfully. “It was awesome right?!” Amethyst laughed. She looked over towards Jasper and her team, frustrated by their loss. Storm kicked at the ground while Laz pouted. Jasper had her hand on Laz’s back, trying to comfort and encourage them. 

“Go over and be good sports okay? They are your sisters.” The gems ran over to their siblings, telling them how well they did and asking to talk about moves. Jasper smiled as she walked over to Amethyst. 

“They cheated you know,” she said to Amethyst. Amethyst laughed, knowing her mate was just unhappy she lost. 

“Sounds like someone has some pent up aggression.” Amethyst gave Jasper a smile. “You want a rematch? You against me?” Jasper’s face lit up in the way that made Amethyst’s heart melt.

“You’re on.” Amethyst held Jasper’s hand as they walked out to the center of the battle ground. The gemlings whispered to themselves as they saw Amethyst and Jasper approach the battlefield and ran to the stands. 

Amethyst and Jasper bowed to each other, grinning as they took a couple steps back. Garnet signaled for the start of the sparing session and neither gem moved. After a drawn out standoff, Jasper flashed her hand over her face, calling her helmet as Amethyst tipped her head back calling two whips. “Bring it babe,” Amethyst whispered. Jasper winked before charging at Amethyst. The purple gem darted to one side, dodging Jasper’s charge. She threw her whip towards Jasper, but the orange gem was able to counter, grabbing the end and pulling Amethyst towards her. Amethyst dropped the whip Jasper was holding, allowing it to vanish as she charged at her. The two gems were serious when they spared, fully focused and willing to fight to a finish. Unfortunately, that meant Garnet was the one who had to decide when to call a match before they forced each other to regenerate. But the gemlings loved to watch their caretakers spar. They were always amazed by Jasper’s strength and impressed by Amethyst’s agility. 

They each landed several impressive blows, but Jasper was distracted a fraction of a second into Amethyst’s strike. The purple gem had managed to tie Jasper up, a whip in each hand. As she pulled, the ropes constricted, threatening to poof Jasper if she didn’t give up. Jasper glared behind her helmet, unwilling to give up while Amethyst pulled harder, unwilling to look weak. Garnet whistled, ending their match and both gems were brought back to their reality. Amethyst’s whips vanished and Jasper recalled her helmet. The two stared at each other, slowly coming out of “battle mode”. They bowed towards each other just before Jasper grabbed Amethyst’s hand, lacing their fingers together. 

As they walked back to the warp pad, the children argued over who won the match. They tried to get Amethyst and Jasper to tell them who had won, but the gems just shrugged at the little ones and smiled. They moved on to Garnet. She obviously had called the match because her future vision predicted someone being forced back to their gem. Garnet gave the same mysterious look as Jasper and Amethyst. When they returned to the beach house, Amethyst called to the gemlings. “Go play on the beach. Great job today … be home by sundown. Don’t make me come find you!” She finished as they ran out the door and scattered. 

Connie and Steven laughed as they made their way up to Steven’s room to watch TV. Garnet turned to the remaining gems and smiled. “It was a tie, equally likely that Amethyst poofed Jasper, or Jasper broke free and flattened Amethyst.” The gems laughed. Pearl grabbed Lapis’ hand. 

“Let’s enjoy the peace and quiet we have until sundown.”

“Yea,” Amethyst replied. “I’m gonna take a nap.” Jasper glanced towards Amethyst then Lapis and Pearl. 

“I’m gonna go … shower.” Lapis rolled her eyes. 

“Like we need to hear play by play on your sex life, Jasper,” Lapis replied, turning on her heels and heading towards her room. Jasper blew Pearl and Garnet a kiss before heading in the direction of her room Amethyst just shrugged, laughing at the dynamic. 

Amethyst had given up her room to the gemlings. Having a large room with almost separated areas gave the gemlings their own space to share in pairs. They had naturally paired off, so it was fairly easy to decide which gems went in which rooms. Storm and Laz shared a room surprisingly without killing each other. They were both excitable and borderline destructive, often getting into arguments with each other. But they were also seen causing mischief together and they secretly loved their roughhousing, even though each would claim the other started it. Lake and Jewel were comparatively mellow, but also inherited their sire’s personality. Like Lapis, the two made quiet, calculated decisions, sometimes whispering their thoughts to each other before responding to questions. They were inseparable, trusting each other over anyone else. The final room belonged to Jay and Sky. Both very quiet and thoughtful, they kept to themselves more often than the others, observing and evaluating. They weren’t incredibly close, but they were naturally drawn to each other in the house of mischievous, energetic gems. Amethyst’s room still remained, a small section that held her bed and some of her things. She and Jasper had stayed there when the gemlings were small and Amethyst would occupy it when she or Jasper needed space. It allowed Jasper to continue calling their shared room “hers”.

Amethyst entered Jasper’s room as the orange gem was about to get into the shower. “Don’t you DARE climb into that bed without showering first,” Jasper called from the bathroom. Amethyst rolled her eyes.

“And what are you going to do to stop me?” She called back. Jasper stood naked in the doorway of the bathroom staring at the purple gem. She glared at her mate, clenching her firsts. Amethyst smiled her typical, willful, childish smile. “Are you asking me to shower with you?”

Not too long after the gemlings’ birth, Jasper and Amethyst’s personalities had slowly moved back towards their normal. Jasper was her brash, forceful self, while Amethyst’s playful, carefree, and sometimes antagonistic nature returned. That is, at least with each other. They were still incredibly soft, caring caregivers who disciplined gently and provided endless support. But when they were together, they happily instigated each other without fear. 

“No,” Jasper replied. “But if that’s the only way you’ll shower before getting into MY bed, then fine.” Amethyst approached the doorway and stood in front of Jasper, hand on her hip and head tilted. 

“Yea, whatever,” Amethyst said attempting to sound annoyed. The gems waited in their standoff for a short time before Amethyst pulled Jasper towards her, kissing her deeply. “Damn you’re beautiful,” she said, smiling at the orange gem. 

“Let me wash your hair babe,” Jasper said, returning the smile. 

As they stepped into the shower, Amethyst ran her hands over Jasper’s hips. “I think you wanted me to shower with you.” Jasper inhaled anxiously as Amethyst gave her a kiss. “Especially after the comment Lapis made …” She guided the orange gem backwards towards the edge of the bath as they kissed again. Amethyst pushed Jasper to a seated position while she knelt in front of her. The water was warm, falling on each of them like rain, a feeling Jasper loved. She took a second to look up and feel the water. As she did, Amethyst ran her tongue up Jasper’s thigh. Jasper moaned, closing her eyes. 

Amethyst knew her mate. She loved the rain and the artificial version was enough to put her in a better mood. She also loved to spar and in her mind, sparing with Amethyst was closely associated with sex. This was something Amethyst didn’t really have a problem with, but explained Jasper’s current state of arousal. Amethyst pushed Jasper’s thighs apart, her thumbs along either side of her mate’s swollen clit, letting the anticipation build. “Is this what you were thinking about when you told Lapis you were going to take a shower?” Amethyst asked. Jasper’s mind was too foggy to fully understand the question. She half opened her eyes and looked at her mate before whispering “Please Amethyst”, a statement that forced Amethyst to smile. She slid her tongue over Jasper’s clit in one slow, long movement, causing the orange gem to quiver. Jasper’s eyes rolled back slightly under her closed eyelids while her jaw clenched in an attempt to stay quiet. As Amethyst continued, Jasper could feel her climax building quickly. Her body tensed and she struggled to stifle another moan. 

“Amethyst!” Jasper cried through clenched teeth, only encouraging the purple gem to suck gently on her mate’s clit. That pushed Jasper over the edge, the orange gem’s body shook as she came, her muscles giving out to exhaustion. 

After a few minutes of recovery, Amethyst helped Jasper up. They stood under the water, Amethyst holding Jasper steady while the orange gem rested her head on her mate’s shoulder. “Would you mind if I took a nap with you?” Jasper asked softly, her eyes still closed. 

“I would love it,” Amethyst replied. 

Jasper didn’t like to talk about it, but she was actually a very soft and affectionate gem. Most assumed that Jasper’s gentle nature towards her gemlings was due to maternally driven instincts or hormones, but Amethyst knew that wasn’t true. The orange gem’s true personality was something most others would never get to see. Jasper at her core was kind, gentle, and caring, but she wasn’t created to fall in love or have gemlings. Jasper had been created for war. Her large frame supported the opinion that she was a heartless fighter and to stay alive, her job was to be one. And for the time required, Jasper did her job well. She charged into battle, she fought, and she won, repeatedly. But during her time stuck on Earth, Jasper began to feel herself losing the desire to keep her guard up, and it was mostly because of Amethyst. 

Jasper had watched the purple gem’s behavior and considered it strange. Amethyst was also created for battle, but seemed to express other emotions, love, compassion, fear, without compromising her strength or skill in battle. Jasper spent a significant amount of time thinking about it, wondering if it was possible that she had buried her ability to feel those types of things. One day, very shortly after Malachite unfused, Jasper confronted Amethyst. She awkwardly asked the purple gem to join her for a walk on the beach. Amethyst could tell something was on Jasper’s mind, and her curiosity got the better of her. 

Jasper took them a long way from the temple to a remote section of the beach before she sat down in the sand. Amethyst grew more suspicious that it was a trap the farther out they went, but the defeated look in Jasper’s eyes made her give the orange gem a chance. After a while, Jasper finally spoke. 

“What was it like before Rose found you?” Amethyst didn’t like to talk about it, she didn’t like having to explain herself to others, especially Homeworld gems, but Jasper seemed different. Jasper seemed, surprisingly sincere. 

“What do you mean?” Amethyst asked, wondering what exactly Jasper was interested in knowing about. 

“Well, you’re an amethyst from a kindergarten. You were created to fight and be part of an unstoppable Homeworld army. But, when you emerged, you were alone. You wouldn’t have received any of that information. I was just wondering … what it was like to not be told you were a war machine.” Amethyst looked into the slate grey eyes that were staring at her and she realized Jasper was looking for hope. 

It was a long pause, long enough that Jasper thought Amethyst wasn’t going to answer. But finally, the purple gem sighed and looked up from the ground. “We might not have been created in the same place, or with the same resources, but we were created for something. And we were told we needed to deny a part of our self to make it in this life. We’ve been asked to deny our passion, our creativity, our love, our sensitivity, because they aren’t part of what we were made for.” Amethyst picked up some sand and watched it fall through her fingers. “It’s our own responsibility to stay true to ourselves. Pearl refused to give up on her desire to know how things work just because she is a pearl. Ruby and Sapphire won’t ignore their love for each other just because fusions are for war.” She paused unsure how to continue. “We’re our own gems Jasper. We guide our futures.”

The two sat in silence until Amethyst addressed the orange gem. “Did that answer your question?” Jasper didn’t respond, she just stood and slowly walked back to the temple. 

Amethyst finished washing Jasper’s hair and they got out of the shower. “Am I clean enough to get into your bed now?” Amethyst asked playfully. Jasper smiled sleepily back at her mate. It had been a long day of training and Jasper hadn’t noticed just how tired she was until Amethyst took her last bit of energy. She pulled Amethyst into the bedroom and down onto the bed. 

“Just cuddle with me,” she said with false irritation. Jasper curled up against Amethyst, eyes closed and close to slumber. Amethyst pulled her mate closer, Jasper’s body feeling strangely heavy against hers. 

“Jasper, are you alright?” The orange gem had already fallen asleep.


	13. Chapter 13

Jasper woke abruptly with a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. Amethyst had woken as well, staring at Jasper, waiting for her to speak. “Something’s … something’s wrong.” Jasper’s face said enough and Amethyst was already out of bed, phasing on clothes. She threw Jasper her hair tie and they ran to the beach house. Garnet was already there with Lapis and Pearl. 

“I’ll get Steven and Connie,” Pearl said after a short consultation, the others ran outside. 

“Lapis, come with me,” Amethyst said just as Garnet told Jasper to come with her. The four gems tore down the beach at an impressive speed, Lapis and Amethyst by the water, Jasper and Garnet by the road. Amethyst came to a stop as she saw Lake and Jewel running towards them and into the open arms of their sire. Amethyst let Lapis comfort them. “Where are your sister?” The children pointed down the beach and Amethyst took off. 

As she entered the cave, Amethyst saw what could only be a corrupted gem towering over Jasper and Garnet. Behind them was a wall of ice. At closer look, Amethyst saw the wall had been created by Laz. She was focusing all her energy into producing the ice wall with Jay behind her calling words of encouragement. Storm stood back, watching with wide eyes while Sky paced, deep in thought. They were cornered really with no place to go. The cave entrance was small enough that the corrupted gem blocked any way the kids had to get out. At least all the gemlings were safe, Amethyst thought to herself.

“You’re doing a great job, Laz! I need you to keep it up for just a little longer if you can, okay? We’re gonna get you guys out of here,” Amethyst called to the gemlings. All four looked up at the sound of Amethyst’s voice. As she spoke, Amethyst saw Pearl arrive with Connie and Steven. Amethyst paced for a moment, collecting her thoughts before she began to give directions. “Connie, Steven, I need you to fuse. Are you up for it?” Connie and Steven looked towards Amethyst and gave a stern nod before grabbing each other’s hands. Within seconds, Stevonnie appeared, holding Rose’s shield and sword proudly. “I need you to bubble or shield the kids for now. Laz must be exhausted.” Stevonnie nodded. 

“Jasper, I need a distraction from the cave wall side. Can you do that?” Amethyst called. 

“With pleasure,” Jasper replied, rage in her eyes. The orange gem pulled down her helmet and delivered another attack, drawing the corrupted gem’s attention away from the children. Amethyst and Stevonnie raced towards the kids, Stevonnie throwing up a shield as soon as they got in front of them. Amethyst stood behind Stevonnie, huddling the gemlings. 

“I’m proud of you Laz. You did a great job,” Amethyst told the water gem, pulling her close. As she spoke, the corrupted gem crashed into the side of the cave, causing a partial cave in. When the dust settled, their escape route had been cut in half, making it impossible for them to get out without going through the monster. “Jasper! You alright?” Amethyst called as she saw Pearl and Garnet emerge from the rubble. 

“Peachy,” Amethyst heard her mate growl as she launched herself once again at the monster. 

“Okay, new plan,” Amethyst said. “Jay, Storm, come here. Watch Jasper, do you see that?” Amethyst pointed towards the orange gem who was spin dashing across the wall from the corrupted gem. “Can you two do that?” The gemlings nodded at Amethyst. “Okay. Sky, I need you to call your flail. You and I are going to take down the corrupted gem by the legs. Once we do, Jay and Storm, I want you to spin dash as hard and fast as you can over anything in your way to Jasper. Can you guys do that?” The three gemlings looked determined as they nodded. “Jasper! Storm and Jay are coming to you. When they reach you, get them out okay? Pearl, Garnet, Jasper will need a distraction.” 

“Got it,” All three gems replied in unison. 

“You ready, Sky?” Sky closed her eyes and retrieved her flail before taking a deep breath. 

“Yes.” Amethyst had summoned two of her whips before she began counting. 

“On three, one, two, THREE!” Sky’s flail hit its mark, as did Amethyst’s whips and for a second the gem was knocked off its feet. “Incoming!” Amethyst called to Jasper as she pushed Storm and Jay towards their mother. Both gemlings started a spin dash before crashing into Jasper’s arms. Pearl and Garnet opted for directional attacks turning the monster’s attention from the cave entrance, allowing Jasper to drop Storm and Jay on the other side with their sire. 

By the time Jasper returned, the corrupted gem was back on its feet. Stevonnie was holding Laz while Amethyst had Sky clinging to her hip. “Stevonnie, can you protect these two? We need a four sided attack, I need to go help them,” Amethyst said. 

“Amethyst! Let me go. With Rose’s sword, I can help!” 

“I know you could, but someone has to protect Laz and Sky. And you’re the best gem to do it.” Amethyst’s eyes narrowed. “Please? Protect them.” Stevonnie nodded pulling the gemlings behind their shield. 

Amethyst stepped out towards the battle and looked at the other three gems. Pearl was surprised by the intensity she saw in Amethyst’s eyes. She looked ready to take on anything in her path. “What’s the plan, Garnet?” Amethyst asked tensely. 

“Pressure from all four sides,” the fusion responded after landing another blow to the corrupted gem. 

“Can do. Jasper, you ready for this?” Amethyst asked the gem across from her. 

“What kind of question is that?!” Jasper replied angrily, taking another swing at the monster. 

“Ready Pearl?” Garnet asked.

“Ready!” the tall gem replied. 

“Ugh! Shut up and get ready, Jasper!” Amethyst growled. Garnet gave the count. On three Jasper and Amethyst gave a spin dash and comet attack, while Pearl offered an impressive attack from behind with her spears. Finally, Garnet charged gauntlets first into the font of the monster. The corrupted gem was quickly poofed, but as it did, Jasper and Amethsyt collided mid attack, crashing into each other and tumbling to the ground. Garnet immediately bubbled the corrupted gem before turning to her teammates. Pearl had run to Stevonnie to check on the fusion and the gemlings. 

It was clear Jasper’s helmet was cracked as she lie on the cave floor. Amethyst’s damage was harder to spot. After checking on the children, including Stevonnie, Pearl ran to Amethyst and pulled down her shirt to check her gem. The unconscious gem’s gemstone was cracked down the middle. Pearl took a step back, shocked at the amount of damage Amethyst seemed to sustain. While Pearl looked at Amethyst, Garnet was tipping Jasper’s head forward, trying to get a better view of her gem from under the helmet. She could see a crack in Jasper’s gem as well. 

When Stevonnie saw the two unconscious gems, the fusion fell apart, with Connie and Steven falling to the floor. They stood in silence, unsure what they should do next. Lapis spoke first, the others unaware she had even entered the cave. “What about your healing power’s Steven? You fixed the crack in my gem.” Steven’s eyes were wide, unsure he could help. 

“Lapis, he lost his power,” Pearl whispered gently.

“No! I have to try!” Steven walked over to Jasper, licking his hand tentatively. He reached up under Jasper’s broken visor and ran his hand over Jasper’s gem. Everyone’s eyes were on Jasper to see if she woke. After what seemed like ages, Jasper’s helmet recoiled and her eyes fluttered open. 

“What happened?” The orange gem wasn’t sure where she was.

“Hold still,” Garnet said softly as she boxed Jasper’s head between her gauntlets. Garnet inspected Jasper’s gem before letting the orange gem’s head free. “Good job Steven, she looks okay. Jasper, how do you feel?” 

“Like I was hit by a damn space ship,” she replied, shaking her head slightly. Jaspers eyes finally landed on her mate’s unconscious form on the ground. “Amethyst!” It took all the energy Jasper had to get to Amethyst and pick her up. The orange gem could feel her head throbbing, but she ignored it, focusing on Amethyst. The purple gem was motionless in Jasper’s arms and Jasper was speechless. Steven slowly approached the two. 

“It worked for Jasper, I’m sure it will work for Amethyst too,” Lapis said softly. Steven pulled Amethyst’s shirt away from her gem, licked his hand and placed it against her gemstone. Everyone was silent, waiting for Amethyst to come to. After a moment or two, when she didn’t respond, Jasper looked at her gem.

“Her gem’s fixed, the crack is gone. Now she’s just unconscious,” Jasper spoke softly. “Let’s just bring her home.” 

They walked home in silence. The gemlings were exhausted and anxious after such a dangerous encounter. Lapis carried Laz in her arms. Garnet carried Storm and Jewel, while Connie and Steven had Lake and Jay on their back. Jasper carried Amethyst with Sky close at her side. When they reached the temple, the gemlings were brought to their room, Lapis and Pearl agreeing to stay with them. Connie and Steven decided to sit out on the beach and Garnet joined them. Jasper took Amethyst to their room. 

She placed the purple gem gently on the bed and kissed her softly. She will be okay, Jasper thought to herself. Her gem isn’t cracked, so she will be fine. Jasper looked up and saw two eyes looking at her from the darkness of the hall. “Come here baby,” Jasper said gently. Sky ran towards her mother and crawled into her lap. Jasper gently rocked Sky in her arms. She knew the gemling was too old for this, but she thought it might be comforting for both of them. “You were great today little one. I saw your flail hit its mark, good job. We were all very proud of all of you.” Jasper could hear Sky sniffle, her head against Jasper’s shoulder. 

“Is she gonna wake up?” Jasper could feel her heart sink. 

“Well, Steven has healing powers and healed her gem, so she should wake up and be just fine. It might just take some time.” 

“How much time?” 

“I don’t know, baby,” Jasper said softly. 

Sky fell asleep in Jasper’s arms and the orange gem brought her back to her room. She wanted to check on the gemlings anyway. Pearl and Lapis went to Jasper’s room to check on Amethyst while the orange gem said goodnight to her litter. Jasper placed Sky in her bed and sat down, looking at Jay. Jay sat on her own bed with a stern expression, staring back at Jasper. “I’m very proud of you, Jay,” Jasper spoke quietly. “Both for your courage and for supporting and encouraging Laz. You were really great out there.” Jay got up and stood in front of Jasper, leaning her head against the larger gem’s chest. 

“Is she gonna be okay?” Jasper wrapped her arms around the gemling. 

“I hope so.” Jay pulled away from Jasper and looked over at Sky. 

“C-can … can I sleep with Sky tonight?” Jasper ran her hand through the little one’s mound of white hair. 

“As long as Sky says it’s okay.” Sky was awake and moved over, pulling the blanket back to make room for her sister. The two cuddled as jasper kissed them goodnight. 

She moved on to Storm and Laz’ room where she saw the two gemlings huddled together on the floor watching a video in silence. Jasper picked up the remote and paused it for a moment. “You were both very brave and very strong today, and I want to let you know how proud we all are of you.” The gemlings blinked up at their mother, feeling very drained and disconnected. Jasper knew her two daughters were trying to process things the best they could. She gave each of them a kiss before handing back the remote. 

Finally, she went to Lake and Jewel’s room. The two were also curled up together, but this was a more common behavior for those two. Jasper sat on the bed and asked softly, “What happened today?”

Jewel replied almost inaudibly. “We were playing on the beach and went into the cave. And there was that corrupted gem, I guess we woke her up. Her tail hit the cave wall and the rocks separated us from the others.” 

Lake picked up where Jewel left off. “We didn’t know what to do so we ran to get help. As we were running home, we saw Lapis and Amethyst and we told them where the others were. We shouldn’t have left them alone. We’re sorry.” Jasper smiled at her gemlings.

“No, I’m very proud of you two. It's really hard to leave the people you care about while they are in danger, but sometimes you have to. You both realized you needed help and you got it. It was brave.” She kissed both of them and wished them a good night. As she was leaving, Lake stopped her. 

“Is Amethyst gonna be okay?”

Jasper smiled back at her. “I hope so, sweetheart.” 

Jasper wanted to sit with Amethyst, but she was drawn to the beach house for some reason. When she got there, Lapis, Pearl, and Garnet were all sitting together. Jasper sat down without a word. They sat in silence for a bit before Pearl spoke. “Steven went to Connie’s for the night, they seemed to be doing alright.”

Garnet nodded as she spoke, “They wished they could have helped more. I told them they protected the kids and that was more than anyone could have asked for.” 

“How are the kids?” Lapis asked quietly. 

“They’re alright,” Jasper said, clearly tired. “Storm and Laz don’t seem to know how to handle this kind of thing, but the other four are doing a little better. They are being very supportive and comforting towards each other, which is sweet. I told them each they did a great job and we were all proud of them. I’ll check on them in the morning.” Jasper didn’t look up as she spoke. 

“They were all quite incredible given their age and experience,” Pearl whispered. 

“Yes,” Garnet spoke up. “They all did make us quite proud.” 

“Thank you,” Jasper said as she stood up. “You know, for protecting them. I know you didn’t have to.” She began to walk towards the temple door but Lapis stopped her. 

“Jasper, of course we protected them. They’re your litter … they’re our FAMILY.” 

Pearl bit her lip anxiously as she spoke, “Jasper, you are as much a part of this family as the rest of us are.” Jasper turned towards the temple door, trying to wait until she was inside to wipe the tears from her eyes. This was all a little more than she could take. 

When Jasper got to her room, she was disappointed to see Amethyst still lying motionless on the bed. She sat down next to the purple gem and kissed her gently. “Amethyst, you’ve been gone for too long. If you were regenerating I’d expect you to be gone for some time, but your gem was healed. Why are you unconscious still? We need you Am, I need you.” Jasper sat cross legged on the bed next to her mate, something Amethyst had done a lot while Jasper was carrying the gemlings. She thought about how devoted Amethyst was to her, how she had been willing to change almost her entire life to parent a little of gemlings that she hadn’t sired. How Amethyst had been by her side while she carried her gemlings, checking that she was okay, making sure she ate, and comforting her. Jasper wasn’t sure what to do anymore, so she did what she thought other gems would do, she cried. The orange gem wasn’t sure she had ever just cried alone, intentionally, normally she tried to hold back her tears or expressed her frustration though other outlets. But right now, she felt like crying was what she needed to do. 

There was a knock on the door and Jasper rushed to wipe her eyes before answering it. She was more than surprised to see a small-ish red gem standing in her doorway. “R-ruby?” Jasper said with clear confusion.

“Yeah, mind if we talk for a minute?” Jasper moved out of the doorway to allow the red gem into the room. Ruby took to sitting on the floor, making very little eye contact. They sat in silence for what seemed like way too long before Ruby spoke. “Jasper, I … I’m not sure why I’m here, but I really felt like we needed to talk.” Jasper’s grey eyes were focused on Amethyst. “You’re more than a warrior, Jasper.” With that, Jasper looked towards the small gem. “You’re more than that and you should let yourself be more than that. You should let yourself feel more than the narrow range of emotions you were led to believe were all you could feel.” Ruby stood and walked towards the orange gem. “I know you can feel them, I’ve seen it. It’s hard, but it’s worth it. It would be good for you to let at least some of us in, Jasper. And to start, you need to accept that you have a family; you’re part of this family already. You don’t need to be guarded around us. We care about you and want to help. We are all in this together.” She gave Jasper an awkward hug before she walked towards the door. “I just … I thought you needed to hear that.” Ruby looked at the floor before taking one last look in Jasper’s direction. “Hang in there. I know Amethyst. She’s a fighter and she doesn’t want to leave you or those gemlings. She’ll pull through.” The red gem turned and closed the door behind her.


	14. Chapter 14

Jasper tried to think about Ruby’s words, but they all blurred together. She was exhausted but was refusing to rest. She ran her thumb over Amethyst’s gem looking at her mate once more. “Dammit Amethyst, please? Please wake up? I need you. The kids need you. The team needs you.” Jasper ran her fingers through Amethyst’s hair sighing softly. The purple gem had to be okay, there wasn’t another choice. Jasper wasn’t sure if she was dreaming or possibly hallucinating, but she saw Amethyst’s fingers twitch slightly. She shook her head, trying to wake herself up before putting her hand in Amethyst’s. She let her fingers brush against Amethyst’s palm and felt the purple gem barely squeeze back. “Amethyst! Babe, please open your eyes for me. I need to know you’re okay. Look at me, just for a minute.” Jasper stroked Amethyst’s hair gently, watching her eyelids move slightly. “Come on Am, I know it’s hard but you can do it.” Jasper anxiously waited for her mate’s eyes to open, and after several long minutes, they did. 

“W-why do I feel … like a truck hit me?” Tears streamed down Jasper’s face as she kissed Amethyst. “I’m so gald you’re okay!” 

“Of course I’m okay,” Amethyst said, pulling Jasper into a hug. “Wait, what do you mean? Why are you crying?”

Jasper helped Amethyst sit up. “What do you remember?” 

Amethyst wrinkled her nose as she thought. “I … I’m not sure … I was worried about … THE KIDS!” 

“Shh, they’re all fine.” Amethyst relaxed slightly as she looked around the room. 

“Stevonnie had Sky and Laz. And we were trying to finish off a corrupted gem. I was worried about you. That’s … that’s all I remember.” 

“Why were you worried about me?” Jasper asked, squeezing Amethyst’s hand harder. 

“Because,” Amethyst’s eyes closed as she sighed. “I know how you get when you’re scared and threatened. You were losing your temper and snapped at me more than once. I know you’d sacrifice yourself for those kids, we all would … but I wanted everyone to make it out together, unharmed.” 

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry,” Jasper said as she pulled the purple gem onto the bed with her. 

“It’s okay,” Amethyst replied softly. “I know how you get, and it’s okay. But … what happened?” 

“We collided after the gem poofed and cracked each other’s gems. Steven healed mine and I woke up, but when he healed yours, you didn’t. We carried you home.” 

Amethyst blinked a few times. “Ugh, that must be why my head hurts so much. You’re a pretty solid target to hit.” Jasper leaned over and kissed her mate. 

“I love you. Really … I love you, Am.” Amethyst wrapped her arms around Jasper and pulled her close.

“I love you too, Jasper.” They stayed together, for a short while before Jasper began to detangle their limbs and sit up. 

“We should probably go see everyone. They should know you’re okay. Are you okay to get up?” Amethyst sat up and looked around. 

“Yeah, I’m okay. Can we see the kids first?” Jasper walked with Amethyst to the gemlings’ room. As they entered, four gemlings rushed towards her screaming ‘Amethyst!’. She pulled them into a hug. “I’m alright guys, and I’m so glad you all are safe. You did a great job looking out for each other.” Jasper smiled as she looked over towards Lake and Jewel’s room, they were asleep curled up together. 

“Okay,” Jasper said gently. “Bedtime, you can see Amethyst in the morning.” Both Amethyst and Jasper kissed each of them before sending them off to their beds. They also made a stop to check on the sleeping pair and give them a goodnight kiss as well. 

Next was Garnet’s room. They knocked quietly on the door and weren’t surprised when Garnet opened and immediately hugged Amethyst. “Feeling better?” Amethyst nodded. “Good. Let Pearl and Lapis know, then get some sleep … both of you. I'll send Steven a message on his phone,” Garnet said smiling at them. 

“Hey, Garnet?” Jasper asked quietly. “Can you just tell Ruby … thanks for me?” 

“Of course,” Garnet said adjusting her shades. 

They finally made it to Pearl’s room, the most likely place to find Pearl and Lapis. Lapis opened the door and enveloped Amethyst into her arms. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” Pearl was next, checking Amethyst’s gem before resting her forehead against Amethyst’s. 

“Don’t scare me like that.” 

Amethyst wrapped her arms around Pearl. “I love you too, P.” 

When they got back to their room, Jasper pinned her mate against the door as it closed behind them. With her arms tightly wrapped around Amethyst, Jasper kissed the purple gem. Amethyst ran her fingers through Jasper’s soft hair and rubbed her head gently. “I’m okay,” the purple gem whispered before taking Jasper’s hand and leading her to the edge of the bed. “Sit, babe. What’s on your mind? And don’t tell me nothing. You are obviously really upset.” Jasper’s head had begun to hurt again, possibly from the impact with Amethyst, or more likely the crying. She closed her eyes and leaned backwards, collapsing onto the bed. Amethyst let her fingers graze over Jasper’s stomach, a leftover habit from when Jasper was carrying. The orange gem sighed, she still found the gesture comforting whenever Amethyst did it.

“I was scared, Am. We all need you. What would we do without you?” Jasper closed her eyes for a moment, lost in thought. “I checked on the kids before you woke up and they were all having such a hard time. Laz and Storm were a mess, they had no idea how to deal with any of this. They were sitting together watching a movie in total silence. Have you EVER heard those two be silent? When I went to speak with them, they didn’t say a word, they just looked up at me blankly.” Jasper sighed, unsure she was making any sense. “They need you Amethyst. They need someone to show them they can be strong, amazing fighters and still cope with their feelings.” Jasper stressed her last sentence to her mate, still trying to hold back tears. 

“Jasper,” Amethyst whispered gently, pulling her mate to a seated position. “It’s alright love, I’m here.” She held Jasper as the orange gem began to calm down. “I’ll talk with them in the morning, okay? I think they could all use some talking with.” Amethyst kissed Jasper’s shoulder. “And I think you and I could use some time to talk as well, but later. Right now I think we need sleep. Your gem was cracked too, babe.” Jasper nodded and they curled up in bed together. “You’re my mate and I love you,” Amethyst said before they fell asleep. “I’ll do everything I can to be right here with you for as long as possible.” 

 

The next morning, Jasper had pulled it together, at least outwardly. She and Amethyst decided to organize some gem/gemling boding time with the kids and went to see who wanted to join them. The other gems agreed it was an excellent idea and they sat down to discuss who would be paired together.

“I would really like Laz and Storm to go with Amethyst,” Jasper said while looking at the floor. “I think they need a good talk about physical and emotional strength.” Garnet agreed, marking the two off their list. 

“Maybe Sky and Pearl would be a good match?” Lapis suggested. “I think Sky sometimes gets overwhelmed by her feelings and maybe Pearl could talk with her about that?” The gems looked towards Pearl who nodded silently. 

“Garnet, would you take Jay?” Amethyst asked. Garnet nodded knowingly at Amethyst and added another check to the list. 

“Jewel and Lake are left,” Garnet said. 

“I’ll take Lake,” Jasper replied. “She is feeling really guilty for leaving her sisters to get help.” 

“That leaves Jewel with me,” Lapis said happily. “I’ll see if I can get her to talk a little more about how she’s feeling about this whole thing. She’s always really quiet.” 

The gems gathered in the beach house where two of the gemlings were already sitting. “Can you get all your sisters in here? We’ve got family bonding time scheduled in 5 minutes!” Amethyst said with a smile. The gemlings’ eyes lit up as they ran through the temple to find their sisters.

Once everyone was crowded into the beach house, they agreed to meet back in an hour and a half where they would watch a movie together as a family. Garnet took Jay to the warp pad and disappeared, while Lapis took Jewel to the water’s edge. Jasper decided to take Lake to the boardwalk, where they would bring back donuts for everyone upon their return. Pearl and Sky went to sit under the trees at the top of the temple cliff, and Amethyst took Storm and Laz to the very base of the temple. 

By the time everyone had returned to the beach house, the overall mood had improved. Jay and Lake smiled cheerfully at their sister, Storm, Laz, and Jewel all had the look Jasper had after having a deep conversation with Amethyst, and Sky’s face lit up with her adorable bashful grin. Steven and Connie had arrived by the time they were ready to start the movie. The whole family was together and everyone seemed happy. The children ate their donuts and everyone watched the movie, together. Once it was over, Amethyst stood up. “Last part of our family bonding today, I want you to all think of some family members you appreciate and let them know you love them.” Storm looked up at Amethyst. 

“Is Connie family?” Connie blushed. 

“Yes, Connie is family.” 

“Okay!” Pearl said. “Time for 2 hour break. Meditate, play quietly, listen to music, sleep; just make sure not to disturb others!” The gemlings mostly ran off to their room, but a couple stayed in the beach house. Amethyst leaned over to Pearl and whispered to her.

“Jasper and I need some time to talk.” Pearl nodded before sitting down with Lapis and the remaining gemlings for beach house mediation. 

 

Jasper had been quiet for most of the morning. When she and Lake returned with donuts, Amethyst could see that Jasper’s smile was forced. As they cuddled on the couch, Amethyst knew Jasper wasn’t watching the movie, she was deep in her own thoughts. They walked back to their room in silence, Jasper still deep in thought. Amethyst wondered if Jasper even noticed she was walking beside her. Amethyst closed the door behind her and leaned against it, watching as Jasper pulled out her hair tie and shook her head. The orange gem was in fact really beautiful. Amethyst smiled. “Jasper,” she whispered. The larger gem looked up startled. Amethyst wrapped her arms around her mate, kissing her softly and pulling her to the bed. Jasper let out a sigh, a mix of stress and contentment. 

Amethyst wasn’t finished. She began to trace her tongue down Jasper’s neck. As she did, she followed up with kisses before landing at Jasper’s collar bone. Amethyst sucked softly at the base of the orange gem’s neck, eliciting a meek cry. She slowly pushed Jasper down onto the bed as sh ran her hands under Jasper’s shirt. 

Jasper’s head was cloudy and heavy. She couldn’t really focus all that deeply and hadn’t been able to for most of the day. She had a nice talk with Lake, the poor gemling was in tears for a lot of it, but she obviously felt better after. But aside from bonding with her daughter, Jasper’s mind was elsewhere and she was having a tough time reeling it in. She decided to just concentrate on the feel of Amethyst against her. She closed her eyes, letting the feeling of Amethyst’s hands moving up her ribs take over. As her mate’s fingers brushed against her nipples, Jasper let out a contented sigh. Amethyst pulled at Jasper’s shirt, removing it more quickly than Jasper expected. She shivered as the unexpected air hit her chest. In a quick motion, Amethyst dragged her nails sharply against the soft orange skin. Jasper let out a cry, a mix of a whimper and a moan as Amethyst took one of her nipples into her mouth. Amethyst hooked her thumbs into Jasper’s pants as she phased off her own clothing. Taking the hint, the orange gem phased off the rest of her clothing. Amethyst switched her attention to Jasper’s other nipple and as she did, dragged her nails hard against Jasper’s ass. This time, all Jasper could do was moan. 

Amethyst looked into Jasper’s eyes and could tell she was miles away, but the purple gem continued to fight for her mate’s attention. She released Jasper’s nipple from her mouth and pushed at her mate’s legs, forcing them apart. As she did, she leaned down and kissed Jasper’s thigh. Amethyst let her tongue brush softly over her mate’s core before she began to kiss and suck the inside of her thigh. Jasper moaned, she could feel a bruise starting, but it felt good. It was a solid reminder that she was here, that Amethyst was here. She tangled her fingers through Amethyst’s hair as the purple gem started on her other thigh. When both thighs were equally bruised, Amethyst looked up. She leaned down to kiss her mate, digging her nails deeply into Jasper’s hips. Jasper cried out, but her voice was swallowed by her mate’s kiss. Amethyst rolled her thumbs over Jasper’s hips as they kissed. She could feel the orange gem’s body quivering beneath her, but Amethyst had no intentions of stopping. She kissed Jasper again, not bothering to come up for the unneeded air. As she did, she felt Jasper’s nails against her lower back. Amethyst tilted her head back and whimpered as Jasper pulled her fingers forwards towards Amethyst’s hips, just barely drawing blood. Amethyst looked into Jasper’s eyes and realized her mate had returned from wherever she was, lost in her own mind. And it seemed Jasper wanted to play rough. 

Amethyst saw the fire in the grey eyes and she greedily kissed Jasper’s swollen lips. Jasper reached down between her mate’s legs and began to slowly stroke Amethyst, fanning the fire and silently begging Amethyst to take her. Amethyst groaned but refused to give in, she let out an almost menacing growl as she closed her jaw around Jasper’s neck, biting down hard. Jasper closed her eyes and let out a cross between a moan and a yelp. When Amethyst finally let her go, Jasper’s whole body felt like pins and needles. Her eyes had dilated and she could feel her thighs were slick and warm. She pulled Amethyst closer, eager to feel her lips on hers again. Amethyst held Jasper’s gaze, staring into her eyes as she slowly slid into her. Jasper bit her lip and suppressed a deep groan, enjoying the familiar feeling of her mate. She dug her nails deeper into Amethyst’s shoulder the closer to orgasm she reached, drawing blood with each movement. Amethyst kept her eyes locked with Jasper’s, watching her mate reach her breaking point. Finally, Jasper was pushed over the edge. She tipped her head back and as she did, Amethyst sunk her teeth into Jasper’s shoulder, hard, as Jasper clawed at Amethyst’s back.

Amethyst kissed Jasper’s head as she began to stretch, pulling Amethyst closer. She watched as Jasper’s eyes slowly flickered open and she pressed her lips to Amethyst’s. Before Amethyst was able to say anything, Jasper began to speak. “I’m sorry for snapping at you during the fight. I was scared, scared and angry and it makes me forget who I am and fall back on who I was made to be.” Amethyst leaned over and planted a kiss on Jasper’s ribs. “I’m also sorry for being so out of control since yesterday. The little ones do need to learn how to deal with all their emotions. And I am just as responsible for teaching them that as you are. Which means, I have to start dealing with mine better.” Amethyst smiled and left another kiss on Jasper’s ribs.

“I love you,” Amethyst whispered. “And if I thought I might lose you, I would have been just as emotionally out of control.”

“That’s just it, Am,” Jasper frowned as she spoke. “I was really terrified you weren’t going to comeback. Once you opened your eyes, I couldn’t help it.” 

“I know babe, and it’s okay.” Amethyst continued to stroke Jasper’s hair softly. “Hey, Jasper? Do you remember when I first told you how much I loved you?” 

“Yeah,” Jasper said as her face flushed. “We were sitting on the beach and I was talking about how I thought I could like this pairing thing.” 

“No, not that time. The time I told you what I loved about you.” 

“Y-yeah.” Jasper’s could feel her ears getting hot. “I … got into a fight with … Garnet actually.” She took a breath to make sure she still was able to. “Really, I had just picked a fight with her because I was angry with Lapis. Garnet said some things that were pretty accurate about my temper and it got me more upset. When you and Steven came in, I stormed out of the beach house towards the beach. Eventually, you found me at the base of the temple. I was … crying.” Amethyst squeezed Jasper’s hand gently.

“Then what though?” 

“I tried to get you to go away, but you wouldn’t. You stood in front of me and you said ‘You’re beautiful when you cry.’. It made me more upset so I yelled at you to leave. You just took my hands in yours and said ‘And you’re beautiful when you’re angry.’. I didn’t know what to say. We just stood there in silence. Then you said, ‘I love you for all the emotions you feel, because I know you deeply feel them.’. You walked back to the beach house with me and I apologized to Garnet.” 

Amethyst got off the bed and began to dig through one of the dressers. Finally, she came up with a small box. She brought it back and handed it to Jasper. The orange gem looked confused. “Last part of the day, tell someone you love them,” Amethyst said softly. Jasper opened the box to find a plain silver band, engraved on the inside to say ‘I love you for every emotion you feel’. "When humans are mated, they, you know ... wear a ring. I thought you might like this one." Jasper smiled, putting on the ring and running her fingers over it. 

“I love you too,” she said as she rested her forehead against Amethyst’s.


	15. Chapter 15

Amethyst entered the kids’ room and found several of them doing something quietly. Pearl had instituted “2 hour break” when the gemlings hit a rather rowdy phase. She was hoping it would teach them discipline, to enjoy silence, and possibly give the household a couple hours of peace. The other gems agreed it was a good idea. Many of the gemlings were learning to meditate and it encouraged them to spend some time alone, thinking about things. (The ones who took after their mother could definitely use it.) 

As Amethyst entered the section of Laz and Storm’s room, Laz was lying on the floor alone, coloring. Amethyst sat down across from her, “Hey, kiddo, do you mind if we talk a second?” Laz put her crayons down in a precise order before looking at Amethyst. “I wanted to tell you that I love you sooooooooooooooo much.” Laz smiled at Amethyst. 

“I know that! You told me earlier.” 

“I’ve told you lots of times haven’t I?” Amethyst asked the water gem. 

“Yes,” Laz replied in a matter of fact tone. 

“Well, I wanted to tell you why you’re special to me. Have I told you that one before?” Amethyst could tell Laz had become slightly more interested in the conversation. 

“I’m special to you?” 

“Of course!” Amethyst smiled. “Did you want to hear why?” Laz blinked at the purple gem before nodding. “You remind me of some of my favorite gems. You’re getting to be great at water manipulation, just like Lapis. And you’re courageous and strong like Momma. You’re organized and neat, like Pearl. And your drawing is great, just like Steven!” Laz smiled and looked down at her drawings. “But other times, you don’t remind me of anyone else, like when you dance or when you and Storm practice sparing. And that’s the best part. You’re special to me because I don’t have anyone else like you, Laz. And I love you very much.” The little gem crawled into Amethyst’s lap for a hug. 

“I love you too, Amethyst.” Amethsyt gave the gemling a raspberry on her cheek before putting her down. 

“Enjoy your coloring, okay?”

“Okay, bye!” 

\---

Jasper had gone to sit on the beach. She watched as the tide pulled and pushed the water, enjoying the smell of the ocean. It had taken her a long time to be okay with the smell, but finally, it had begun to remind her of time spent with Lapis instead of Malachite. She closed her eyes, and even with them closed she could tell Jay was walking up behind her. She turned to see the gemling dragging her feet through the sand. Jasper gestured for her daughter to sit with her, opening her arms to allow the little one into her lap. “Something wrong, Jay?” Jay often looked pensive. She spent a lot of time deep in thought and her facial expressions reflected the many things going on in her head. 

“Why don’t I look like the others?” Jay looked up into Jasper’s eyes with an expression of pain and confusion. 

“What do you mean, babe?” Jasper asked, unsure what exactly her daughter was referring to. 

“Why don’t I look like Lake?” 

Jasper turned the gemling around in her lap. “Well, you do look a lot like Lake. You both have orange gems in your backs. You’re the same height. And you both have piercing grey eyes.” Jay made another pensive face while Jasper continued. “But, Lake has wings, like Lapis does. And you have stripes, like I do.” 

Jay was quiet for a moment, then asked another question. “Why am I the only one who has a staff?” 

Jasper tilted her head. “I don’t know, honey, but isn’t it cool? You can do things like switch weapons with Sky when you’re battling.” Jasper leaned back in the sand, supporting herself with her arms behind her. Jay leaned over, resting her head on Jasper’s chest. 

Jay spoke again and Jasper could feel the child’s voice vibrate through her chest. “Steven is half gem, and half human right?”

“Yes,” Jasper answered, wondering where this was going. 

“Am I half you and half Lapis?” 

Jasper thought about how to answer that, surprised actually that this was the first time one of them had asked her. “No, that isn’t really how it works, kiddo. ‘Human’ and ‘Gem’ are categories. There are lots of types of humans and there are lots of types of gems. Steven is both a human and a gem. You are all gem.” Jasper kissed Jay’s head. “But, when two gems have a litter of gemlings, the children will often share some of the traits of them. That’s why you have stripes like I do, but your gem is on your back, like Lapis.” Jasper held her breath for the inevitable next question. 

Jay thought for a moment before looking up into her mother’s eyes. “But you decided you were in love with Amethyst. That’s why she was there when we were born.” The gemling said the last statement with authority, which surprised Jasper slightly.

“Yes,” Jasper replied. That seemed to satisfy Jay. She leaned back against Jasper and watched the tide without any more questions. 

Not long after, it was clear that 2 hour break was over. Jewel came barreling down the beach house stairs towards Jasper and Jay. Jasper waved as she saw her coming. 

“Hi Momma!!” The little one stopped short of trampling them. “Jay come play with me, I’m gonna make a sand castle.” Jay happily jumped up and followed her sister to the beach edge. Jasper smiled watching as they played along the beach. As she watched, Lapis joined her.

“I’m surprised to find you here alone.” Lapis knew the smell of the ocean held bad memories for Jasper. 

“It’s getting better. It’s starting to remind me of time spent with you instead of …” Lapis smiled. “Oh, I just had an interesting conversation with Jay,” Jasper continued. She told Lapis the gemling’s concerns as the water gem listened intently. 

“Well,” Lapis said, biting her lip in thought. “I think you handled that well. Though it seems Jay already knew what she wanted to hear.”

“Yeah.” Jasper looked out at the children playing.

“Have you and Amethyst ever thought about having a litter?”

Jasper didn’t take her eyes off the sand castle the gemlings had started. “What, you don’t think 6 is enough for a litter?”

“I just meant having one together,” Lapis said with a smile. 

Jasper was quiet for a bit. She wanted to tell Lapis that they did have a litter together, that just because Amethyst didn’t sire them, doesn’t mean they didn’t do it together. But she decided it was a conversation for another time. “Have you and Pearl?” From her peripheral vision, Jasper could see Lapis begin to worry her lip between her teeth. 

“Yeah, we’ve thought about it, but you know Pearl, she needs to plan out every step. She isn’t sure the temple can handle any more children and she’s worried that she won’t be able to carry.” 

Jasper spoke quietly, “Pearl is coming up with excuses because she’s scared. The temple is plenty big for another litter.” Jasper looked down into the sand. “Not that I blame her for it. I’m just saying, you don’t need to hide it.” 

“Yeah.” Lapis looked towards Jasper. “She’s scared. And I’m a little scared too.” 

“It’s scary,” Jasper said looking back up at Lapis. “But you guys would have each other and you have the rest of us. If you wanted to do it, I think you’d be great parents.” The gems sat in silence for a while, watching Jay and Jewel build their sand castle. 

\---

Jasper curled up beside Amethyst, exhausted once again by a day full of family fun. Pearl, Steven, and the gemlings who were interested in eating (it changed day to day), decided to make dinner. Then, after dinner, there was cleaning up (which was a disaster) and then, bed time. Luckily, the gemlings were still little enough to need some sleep. Who knows what it was going to be like when they stopped sleeping. 

Amethyst ran her hand through Jasper’s hair. “Tired love?” Jasper’s eyes were closed and she hadn’t moved since she fell into bed. 

“Exhausted.” 

“How about we go to sleep then?” Amethyst pulled the blanket over Jasper and pulled the gem closer to herself. 

“Babe?” Jasper said hesitantly. “Can we talk for a bit?” Amethyst eyed Jasper with concern. 

“Of course.” Jasper turned to face Amethyst and took a deep breath. 

“Jay was asking some questions today. She wanted to know why she didn’t look like her sister, specifically like Lake.” Amethyst knew this wasn’t going to be a short conversation. She listened, waiting for Jasper to express her concern. “I pointed out the ways she did look like Lake, and pointed out ways they were different. Jay followed that up with asking if she was half me and half Lapis, the way Steven is half gem, half human. I explained to her it didn’t work that way, but that when two gems have a litter, the children can have some qualities of each of them. Jay seemed to accept that answer, but she ended the conversation saying that I decided I was in love with you and that’s why you were there when they were born. I told her yes.” Jasper paused, looking at the purple gem. 

“Sounds like you handled that well,” Amethyst replied softly. “Jay was satisfied with your response.” Jasper rested her head onto Amethyst’s shoulder.

“There’s more. Lapis came by shortly after and I told her what happened. I guess it led her to to ask if you and I ever thought of having a litter. I asked her if she thought 6 wasn’t enough, and she said she meant us having a litter together.” Jasper tried to gather her thoughts. “I … I didn’t say anything, but I thought to myself that we did already have a litter together. Just because you didn’t sire them, doesn’t mean the gemlings aren’t our litter. I didn’t really know a better way to say it, and I guess I didn’t want to make Lapis feel like she wasn’t important in the gemlings’ lives.” Jasper pulled away from Amethyst so she could look at her. “But it made me start to think about it. I’m not sure we’ve ever talked about it. Do you feel like you missed out, not getting to sire a litter? Do you ever think about having another with me?” 

Amethyst avoided her mate’s eyes. This wasn’t a conversation she really wanted to have right now, but she hated keeping things from Jasper, especially when she was directly asked about them. After the extended silence, Jasper sat up. “Amethyst, I know you’re not telling me something. What’s wrong?” Amethyst sighed. She couldn’t find the words she needed and so she continued her silence. Jasper realized she wasn’t going to get an answer. She got up and grabbed a hair tie off the dresser, pulling back her hair as she walked to the door. 

“Where are you going?” Amethyst asked anxiously. 

“Just out, maybe to the beach. I won’t be too far.” Amethyst sat up. She knew this move. It was something Jasper did when she was frustrated and wanted to deal with things alone. Amethyst reached for Jasper’s arm. 

“No, don’t go.” Jasper stopped as the purple gem’s finger’s grazed her arm. “I want to talk about this. Please stay?” Jasper sat on the edge of the bed. 

“Don’t lie to me, Amethyst. It is obvious that you don’t want to talk about this.” 

“No,” Amethyst sighed. “I don’t, but I don’t want you to have to think through it alone either.” Amethyst sounded frustrated. “Come back to bed, please?” Jasper shook out her hair and crawled back into bed with Amethyst. 

“Sometimes,” Amethyst started. “I’m very much aware that I didn’t sire your litter. Sometimes Laz will do something … and she is just a perfect replica of Lapis. And Jewel and Lake have so much of Lapis’ personality …” The purple gem sighed again, closing her eyes before speaking. “We are all helping to raise them together and I think it’s wonderful. They have 5 great gems to look to for guidance who love them very much. But they know that you’re momma, and that’s really special. They also have something really special with Lapis, they can see part of themselves in Lapis. I wouldn’t even know what that’s like.” Jasper reached down and took Amethyst’s hand. “I do feel like we had this litter together. And I love them each so much, I couldn’t love them more even if I did sire them. But inevitably, they have something with you and something with Lapis that they won’t have with me. It’s okay. It’s just how it is.” 

Jasper pulled Amethyst close, nestling her head into the purple gem’s shoulder. “Will you tell me what it was like in the prime kindergarten?” Amethyst was surprised by Jasper’s question. She looked for clues on Jasper’s face, but the orange gem’s eyes were closed. 

“Why do you want me to tell you about it? We’ve talked about it before.” And there isn’t much to say, Amethyst thought to herself. 

“I want to know what it was like for you. How you felt there, you know, alone. What you did before Rose found you. I just … I want to understand, Amethyst.”

“You know,” Amethyst said after kissing Jasper’s head. “When you and Lapis came back to Beach City, I could tell you were different. I only had memories of the gem warrior who took us captive, but something was different about you.” 

Jasper laughed into Amethyst’s neck. “Yeah, I was sad and miserable!” Amethyst pulled away from her mate to look at her. 

“No. I mean, yes, but there was something else. It was almost like …” The abrupt end to Amethyst’s comment worried Jasper, so she opened her eyes to see what stopped her. The purple gem was looking at here with a strange expression.

“What?” Jasper said cautiously. Amethyst bit her lip and Jasper noticed she was shaking slightly. The gems stared at each other for a while before Amethyst found her voice. 

“I … I just remembered something. It was when you and Lapis came back. Garnet and Pearl were talking to Lapis, making sure she was okay. And you and I were standing on the beach, pretty far from the beach house … basically alone …” Amethyst’s voice trailed off as Jasper pulled away from her mate.

“You … you punched me,” Jasper said slowly, bringing her hand up to her eye.


	16. Chapter 16

Both gems experienced a flood of memories as they pieced the story together.

“You had come back with Lapis. She told us you agree to un-fuse and to cooperate, that you agreed to stay here with us as an ally.” 

Words began to spill from Jasper’s memory, “Garnet told you to watch me, to use force if needed, while they went to consult with Lapis. We walked further down the beach out of earshot.”

“You called me a runt under your breath, mumbled something about how they left the wrong gem to guard you.” 

“And you said, ‘don’t worry about it’ and just glared at me.” 

“Then it was silent. The only sound I heard was you cracking your knuckles.” 

“But then … I told you that I really did want to stay, to be an ally.”

Amethyst gulped audibly, remembering what came next. “I asked you why …”

“And I told you! I was tired of fighting; I was tired of who I was. I was tired of … being alone.” 

“And, I saw it … I knew you were being honest. I could feel it. You wanted to change, you wanted a family, you were looking for hope. And in that moment … I wanted to hug you and to tell you that you could have exactly what you were looking for. We had family, we had hope, and that I knew first hand that if you were going to find it anywhere, you’d find it here.” 

“But, you didn’t say any of that.” Jasper looked confused. 

“No. Instead, I channeled all my anger and frustration, and I punched you. I knocked you to the ground and gave you a black eye.” 

“You said, ‘Call me a runt all you want, but if you mess with my family again, I’m aiming for your gem.’ Then you walked back towards the beach house.” 

“I’m sorry, Jasper.” 

“It’s okay,” Jasper replied, smiling at Amethyst. “Do you want to hear the rest of the story?”

Amethyst frowned. “What do you mean.” 

“Do you know what happened after you walked away?”

“Garnet asked where you were, I gestured towards the beach and went to my room.” 

“No,” Jasper laughed. “What happened to me after you left.” 

“Oh, I guess I don’t know.” 

“Well, I sat down on the beach and waited. Garnet came along and sat down next to me. She was quiet for a long time before she asked if I knew what I did to provoke you. I said of course I did, I had called you a runt and told you that you weren’t fit to guard me. Garnet told me no, that wasn’t it. She said that you didn’t care about being called a runt or that I didn’t find you fit for guard duty or even if I found you fit to be a gem at all or not. She said you were mad because I threatened your family. Because I had hurt Steven, I had separated Sapphire and Ruby, I had terrified Pearl.” Jasper giggled to herself. 

“Why are you laughing!?” Amethyst shouted at her. “It isn’t funny!” 

“Because, then she said to me, ‘She likes you.’ I of course asked her who she was talking about and she said you. I told her she was crazy and that if she hadn’t noticed, you had just given me a black eye. Garnet smiled and said, ‘I know. If she didn’t like you, she would have aimed for your gem.’ Then she walked away.” 

Amethyst affectionately ran her finger over Jasper’s gem. “I did like you. I mean, I thought you were terrible, but I liked you. I really hoped you would become someone … different.” 

“And did I?” Jasper asked, tilting her head. Amethyst kissed her mate before replying.

“I wouldn’t be raising gemlings with you if you hadn’t.” Just as Amethyst said this, there was a knock on the door. Amethyst got up and opened the door to Sky, tears streaming down her face. “Sky, baby, what’s wrong?” Amethyst asked squatting slightly to the gemlings level. 

“Mamma!!” Sky cried softly before throwing her arms around Amethyst’s neck. Jasper stood and walked towards the door as they tried to figure out what was wrong while Amethyst picked Sky up. 

“Shhh,” Amethyst whispered to the gemling. Her eyes met Jasper’s, both gems looking confused. “Sky? Do you want Momma to hold you?” Amethyst asked, offering the gemling Jasper’s open arms. 

“NO!! Mamma!” Sky shouted in her inherently quiet voice, clinging to Amethyst and sobbing. The purple gem shrugged at Jasper, neither quite sure what was going on. Sky didn’t normally have tantrums, none of the gemlings did. Amethyst supposed it was possible she was just having a meltdown over the stress of the last couple days. Jasper kissed the little one’s head and rubbed her back. 

“Sky, we need you to tell us what’s wrong.” Amethyst just shook her head at Jasper. It was clear Sky was far too upset to speak. 

“Can you go see how the others are doing? See if they know what set her off?” Jasper nodded. “I’ll meet you over there once she’s calmed down.” 

Jasper entered the gemlings’ room quietly and as expected a couple of them were asleep. She found Jay, Laz, and Lake sitting in the shared play space. They were far too quiet and looked rather guilty. They stared at Jasper as she walked into the room and knelt down beside them. “Do you guys know what happened to Sky?” The gemlings stared back at Jasper silently. Jasper sighed, it was going to be one of those nights. “If something’s wrong, you know I need to know what it is to help you. So, please tell me what’s going on.” Jay looked at the floor while Laz and Lake looked at each other. Jasper took a deep breath, calling all her patience to try this again. “Was Sky playing with you guys before she came to my room?” The gemlings nodded in silence. “Well, she just came to my bedroom door in tears and she is too upset to tell Amethyst what’s wrong. She’s your sister, and I know you care about her. Tell me what happened guys.” Jasper looked at the gemlings as they looked at each other. “Laz, you first.” 

Laz’s lip quivered as she spoke. “We were just talking about how we looked the same or different.” Lake spoke up, putting her hand on her sister’s shoulder. 

“We were comparing how we looked. Like how Sky and Jay are both striped like you or how we have our gems on our back like Lapis. Laz said that she and Sky looked the most like Lapis, that they were built like her while the rest of us were built like you Momma.” 

“Okay,” Jasper said. “And what part made Sky upset?” Jay spoke up this time. 

“We were talking about our weapons. We said that Storm and Jewel’s pauldrons were protective weapons, like your helmet. And that Lake had wings and Laz could manipulate water, both like Lapis. But I said that Sky and I had weapons that weren’t like our parents.” Jasper knew exactly where this was going to lead to and she let out a soft sigh. “She said her flail was like Amethyst’s whip and my staff was like Pearl’s spear. And I told her that it was different because they weren’t our parents. She said that Amethyst was, and we argued that she wasn’t. We argued and she ran out.” 

“Okay,” Jasper said as she took a deep breath. “Well, I think it’s bed time. We will talk about this in the morning.” 

“Are we in trouble?” Lake asked looking up at Jasper. 

“No, baby, you aren’t in trouble. We just need to talk, okay?” They all nodded as Jasper gave each gemling a kiss. “Get to bed okay?” They each ran off to their room. 

 

Amethyst held Sky, trying to calm her. “Sky, sweetheart, what’s wrong? Can you tell me why you’re upset?” The gemling slowly pulled her head away from Amethyst’s shoulder. Amethyst reached up with one hand to wipe the tears from Sky’s face. 

“I love you, Mamma.” It finally registered to Amethyst that Sky was calling her mamma. The gemlings hadn’t called her that since they were barely able to wallk. 

“I love you too, baby. But why are you so upset?” 

“Momma didn’t know when you were gonna wake up. And when Jay said you weren’t our parent, I was scared that meant you weren’t gonna stay with us.” Amethyst put enough of the pieces together that she understood what had Sky so upset. 

“Momma didn’t know WHEN I would wake up, no one did. You saw what happened. Stevonnie was protecting you and Laz, while Garnet, Pearl, Momma and I were fighting the corrupted gem. We accidently ran into each other and both cracked our gems. But luckily, Steven has healing powers and he fixed both of them. Momma was just a little faster to wake up than I was, that’s all.” Sky warpped her arms around Amethyst’s neck again. “Baby, you saw me once I woke up, I was okay. Why would you think I was gone?”

“Because,” Sky said looking up at Amethyst once more. “Jay said you weren’t our parent. And I thought that meant that you weren’t gonna stay with us anymore.” 

“No, Sky,” Amethyst said shaking her head. “I’m not going anywhere. We’re family, remember? This is my home. Where else would I go?” She asked, smiling at the gemling. “Plus, I love you all too much to ever leave!” She gave sky a kiss. “Okay?” 

“Okay,” Sky responded. 

“Do you want to say goodnight to Momma before you go back to bed?” Sky nodded as Amethyst walked them towards the gemlings’ room. They met Jasper halfway between the two room. “Sky wants to say goodnight,” Amethyst said softly. 

“Night babe!” Jasper said as she kissed Sky’s cheek. 

“Night Momma.” Amethyst carried the exhausted gemling back to her bed. 

 

When Amethyst returned to Jasper’s room, Lapis and Jasper were sitting in silence. Amethyst closed the door before sitting on the bed. “They told Sky that you weren’t their parent, that Lapis and I were,” Jasper said quietly. 

“Yeah, I heard,” Amethyst replied. “Sky thought that because I was injured and no longer their parent, I was leaving. It made more sense when I figured out she wasn’t asking for you, she was calling me Mamma.” 

“She hasn’t called you that in a long time,” Lapis replied. 

“I know.” 

“I told them we’d talk in the morning,” Jasper spoke up. “I thought the three of us should come to an agreement on what to tell them.”

“What’s there to agree to? I’m only their sire, you’re their parents.” Lapis looked at the other two gems confused. 

“Lapis, it’s more complicated than that,” Jasper said. 

“No, it’s not.” Lapis smiled. “It’s exactly what you told Jay earlier. When two gems come together to have a litter, the kids can have qualities of both of them. But you two are mated, you are together and have been since before they were born. You two are their parents. Amethyst you were there when they were born. You cleaned them and put them in their basket! How could you not be their parent? If you want me to be there when you talk to them I can be, but I think you have it under control.” Lapis stood and walked to the door. “I never meant to crowd you out of their lives Amethyst. I love them, but they’re your kids.” 

 

Amethyst crawled into bed and closed her eyes. Jasper sat next to her staring at the purple gem. “You okay?” She asked gently. 

“I’m alright,” Amethyst replied, her eyes still closed. “How about you?” 

“Yeah. I’m not looking forward to explaining to my gemlings how being angry and in heat threw off my judgement and caused me to have a litter with someone who wasn’t my mate.” 

“Shhh,” Amethyst said, pulling Jasper down beside her. “First of all, it wasn’t like that. And second, our 6 kids are wonderful and they wouldn’t be the same 6 kids if they weren’t sired by Lapis.” Jasper just groaned in response. “Jasper, it’s alright. They need to know and we’ll tell them. All that really matters is that they have a family. We can explain who their mom and who their sire is. We can explain who their parents are, but in the end, it doesn’t matter. It matter that everyone was willing to protect them when they needed it; that Stevonnie was willing to shield them, that you and Pearl and Garnet were willing to fight for them, that Lapis was willing to comfort and protect them. It only matter that they have a family who loves them.” 

“I don’t know what to tell them, Am,” Jasper sighed. 

“I think I do,” Amethyst said, pulling her mate closer. “It will be alright, just sleep, okay?”


	17. Chapter 17

Jasper walked into the beach house just as “breakfast” was ending. Breakfast was always crazy as it was usually led by Steven and Amethyst. But today, it seemed that things were suspiciously under control as the gemlings put their dishes into the sink. Amethyst smiled at her mate who looked exhausted, hoping to send her some positive thoughts. “I need you to go get your sisters,” Amethyst said to the little ones, “and meet me out on the beach in no more than 15 minutes. Okay?” The gemlings nodded and scurried into the temple. Amethyst gave Jasper a kiss. “You alright?” 

The orange gem faked a smile and nodded. “I’m good.” Amethyst grabbed her hand as she tried to walk away.

“Liar.” Jasper avoided eye contact with Amethyst, but didn’t resist when the purple gem tightened her grip on Jasper’s hand. “Please look at me, Jasper,” Amethyst said softly. When Jasper still didn’t look up, Amethyst gave her hand another squeeze before sighing and letting go. With that, Jasper left the beach house. 

“What’s wrong with Jasper?” Steven asked. 

“Long story Steven,” Amethyst replied sighing. “She’s just having a tough day. I think she’ll feel better later.” 

Amethyst walked out to the beach and sat down. Jasper wasn’t anywhere in sight, but she figured the orange gem would show up when she was ready. Shortly, all the gemlings were sitting with Amethyst and Jasper was slowly crossing the beach. “Alright, we need to have a serious talk. Are you guys ready for serious time?” The gemlings looked at each other and nodded at Amethyst. “Okay, first, I have a question for you.” Amethyst looked over towards Jasper, still at a fair distance. “See Jasper over there? Who is she to you?” 

“That’s Momma!” several of the gemlings chirped. 

“Yes, and what is it that makes Jasper momma?” The kids were quiet, unsure how to answer Amethyst’s question. 

Jewel was the first to speak up. “Jasper is our momma because she carried us in her belly before we were born.” Amethyst smiled. 

“Yes, that’s true. You all grew in Momma’s belly before you were born. And because Jasper is your momma, you might look a little like her right?” The gemlings nodded. “How many of you think you look like Momma?” Almost all the gemlings raised their hands. “Who else do you look like?” 

All the gemlings replied, “Lapis!” 

“Yes,” Amethyst smiled. “You look like Momma and Lapis. Do you know why you look like Lapis?” Jasper sat down next to Amethyst as she asked. Amethyst answered her own question, “You look like Lapis because she sired Momma’s litter. Do you know what that means?” The gemlings shook their heads ‘no’. “Well, in order to have a litter, there needs to be two gems, a sire and a mom. Those two gems were Momma and Lapis.” Amethyst paused to make sure the gemlings were taking in all the information. As she did, she reached over to take Jasper’s hand, but the orange gem had her hands tightly in her lap. “So, now you guys know what a sire is. Do you know what a mate is?” The gemlings mumbled slightly to themselves but didn’t quite answer. “When two gems love each other deeply and want to stay together, it is said they are mated or are mates. So, Sapphire’s mate is … ?” 

“Ruby!” 

“Yes. And Pearl’s mate is Lapis. Do you know who my mate is?” 

The gemlings giggled as they all responded, “’Momma.” 

Amethyst smiled. “Yes, Momma is my mate. So now comes the serious part. Before you were born, Momma and Lapis started a litter of gemlings. But Lapis and Pearl realized they were supposed to be mates. At the same time, Momma and I realized we were supposed to be mates. Momma was already carrying 6 little gemlings when she and I became mated. We talked about it and decided that she and I would parent the litter together. So, I was there the whole time she carried you and I was even there when you were born. After, Momma and I wrapped all 6 of you up and put you in a basket and we brought you to meet the rest of your family. We sat in the beach house and Momma told everyone your names and introduced you to Steven, Garnet, Lapis, and Pearl. We were both really excited for our daughters to meet the rest of their family. And the whole family was really excited to meet you.

“Momma and I took care of you as you became big enough to talk and walk. We have 6 beautiful gemlings and you have two parents who love you deeply. But you were lucky enough to have more family than that. You have two parents, you have Lapis and Pearl, Garnet, and Steven and Connie. And a couple days ago, the whole family knew you needed help and we all went to help you. Steven and Connie fused and protected you with their shield, Lapis watched over some of you and comforted you once you were away from the corrupted gem, and Pearl, Garnet, and Momma all battled to make sure you were safe.” Amethyst looked at Jasper, her expression was fixed and she seemed upset. “So, your parents are the ones who raised you, who looked after you while you were little, that’s Momma and me. But the rest of your family loves and cares for you as well. Lapis, Steven, Pearl, Garnet, Connie, they all care about you deeply. Is that more clear?” The gemlings blinked up at Amethyst, a few of them nodding. “Do you guys have any questions?” 

Sky looked at Amethyst and spoke quietly, “So, you aren’t gonna leave us Mamma?” Amethyst smiled.

“No baby. Momma and I were so excited the day you all were born. We picked out names for each of you and thought about all the wonderful and fun things you would do when you got bigger. We would teach you to summon your weapons and to spar, and to look out for each other. I loved each of you from before you were born. I would never leave all of that.” 

Storm looked deep in thought while Lake and Jewel whispered to each other. “Amethyst?” A tiny voice called as Amethyst looked at her daughters. 

“Yes Laz?” Amethyst could see her eyes filling with tears though she wasn’t sure why. 

“Do … do you and Momma love me even though I look like Lapis?” With that, Jasper put away her own concerns and looked at her daughter. She reached her arms out and let the water gem crawl into her lap. 

“Of course baby,” Jasper said softly, hugging the gemling. Amethyst reached over to rub the little one’s back before speaking to them all. 

“Momma and I loved each of you from before you were born. We named you Laz because you looked so much like Lapis and we thought you were beautiful. Jay was named after Momma’s nickname, because she looked so much like Jasper to me.” 

Jasper smiled and spoke softly. “We named Sky for the beautiful blue stripes she had that reminded us of the sky. And Storm was named for the way her hair puffed out when she sat up.” 

“Jewel and Lake, you two were named for the way your gems shimmered. Lake’s always look like a pool of water reflecting the sun and Jewel’s looked like a piece of glass. Each of you has always been very special to us. We love you.” 

Jasper kissed the gemling in her lap. “Go give Mamma a hug. Aren’t you glad she’s feeling better after her gem was cracked?” The gemlings pile don Amethyst hugging her tightly. 

“Okay! Okay! Time to give Momma a hug!” The gemlings piled on Jasper just as quickly. “Okay family meeting over, go play!” 

\---

 

Amethyst laid down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. After chatting with the kids, Jasper disappeared and she hadn’t been seen since. Amethyst knew the orange gem was avoiding her. Jasper needed her space, but it was hard for Amethyst when they normally spent much of the day together. Amethyst was the kind to want to talk things out, while Jasper often wanted to work things out alone. The door opened and Amethyst didn’t bother to take her gaze from the ceiling. She knew Jasper had entered the room and if the orange gem wanted to talk to her, she would. As expected, Jasper made her way into the bathroom without a word to Amethyst. Amethyst listened to the sound of the shower and thought about the last couple of days. Without hesitation, she got up and left, closing the door behind her. 

Jasper sighed to herself as she washed her hair. She didn’t know what was wrong, but she had her suspicions. She hated feeling this way, moody, sullen, distant. And it started after the corrupted gem fight. She shouldn’t have snapped at Amethyst during the fight. Jasper thought about how that could have been the last thing she said to her mate and she bit her lip. She shook her head and let the water run down her face. I won’t, she thought to herself, I won’t let this get out of hand again. I need a plan. When the orange gem felt she had figured out how to deal with things, she stepped out of the shower. When she returned to her room, she was alone. Jasper sat on the bed and closed her eyes. It was late, but she was determined to meditate. When two hours of meditation didn’t work, Jasper got up and paced. She had really hoped she wouldn’t need to move on to her plan B, but it seemed she had no choice. 

 

Jasper warped back to the beach house in time for breakfast, and saw Steven and 3 gemlings making a mess of the kitchen. “What are you guys doing?” 

Steven looked over and smiled. “Hi Jasper! We just finished making breakfast.” 

Jasper shook her head, “What did you make?” 

“Waffles!” They all responded together. Jasper sighed. Luckily Pearl enjoyed cleaning because the kitchen looked like they had a food fight with the batter. 

“Where’s Amethyst?” 

“I’m not sure,” Steven replied. “She didn’t come to breakfast this morning so we started without her.” Jasper groaned. She was not in the mood, but still, she went to the kitchen and helped the gemlings clean-up. “Where were you this morning?” Steven asked happily. 

Jasper clenched her jaw as she replied, “Nowhere, just out.” They cleaned the kitchen mostly in silence, the gemlings and Steven giggling every now and then. 

When the kitchen was mostly cleaned, Jasper decided to go to her room. She assumed Amethyst would be there, having stayed out late last night. Jasper opened the door to an empty room and her body tensed. Was Amethyst avoiding her? No, she thought to herself, she’s probably just busy with something. Jasper sat on the bed and tried meditating again. Once again, she got through about 2 hours before she was restless and agitated. Meditation is supposed to calm you, not make you irritated, she grumbled to herself. 

 

Later that night, she walked through the temple to the warp pad, hoping to get out without anyone seeing her. As she entered the beach house, she was greeted by Pearl and Garnet. Greeted isn’t really the right word, she almost walked into Pearl. Jasper clenched her jaw and balled her fists, hoping there wouldn’t be too much talking. 

“Hi Jasper,” Pearl said sweetly. “Thank you for helping with the kitchen this morning. It’s not like Amethyst to leave them to make breakfast alone. Is she alright?” 

Jasper shifted her weight from one leg to the other. “Not sure. Haven’t seen her today, but she’s probably fine.” Garnet lifted her shades slightly before looking at Pearl.

The pale gem began to speak, “Oh, well is she …” but was cut off by Garnet’s hand on her shoulder. 

“Come on Pearl, we have to get going, and Jasper looks like she is on her way out.” Pearl nodded and said her good byes as the two entered the temple. Jasper knew Garnet had seen something in her future vision, but she didn’t care, she needed to get out of the temple. 

A couple hours later, Jasper warped back to the beach house still feeling incredibly agitated, but at least she was tired. She saw Steven sitting on his bed playing a video game. “Steven, have you seen Amethyst?” 

“Nope!” The boy replied with a smile, but without looking up. Jasper tried the gemling’s room. She entered the room and saw Storm sitting on her bed.

“Storm, do you know where Amethyst is?” Storm shook her head, her thick white hair fluffing out as she did. Jasper leaned over and kissed the little one before she left. Next, Jasper tried her room, but Amethyst wasn’t there either. She was beginning to worry that Amethyst was indeed avoiding her. It wasn’t like the purple gem to just disappear. Jasper sighed and sat on the bed. She tried to meditate again, but she only got through 10 minutes before she was fed up. It was just then she felt an aching pulse through her body. Dammit! Jasper thought to herself. She inhaled deeply and held her breath. As she slowly exhaled, she felt the pulse again though not as intense. She slowly walked to the bathroom. As she phased her clothing off and stepped into the shower, she felt the pulse again. Dammit, dammit, dammit, why now? Jasper turned on the water and stood under it. The cool water felt good against her burning skin. She stood there for a while, trying to get her body to cooperate. She weighed her two options, try to get through this alone, or go find Amethyst. Both seemed terrible, but it was clear she would need to find her mate. 

\---

Jasper knocked on Garnet’s door, her fists clenched and her chest tight. Garnet opened the door and looked Jasper over. The orange gem looked exhausted and agitated. 

“She’s at the kindergarten. Are you okay to go alone?” Jasper gave Garnet a slight nod. “Alright, just take it easy, you’re going to feel a little bit weak.” 

Jasper headed to the warp pad. The orange gem moved more slowly than she normally did, carrying herself gingerly as she warped to the kindergarten. When she re-materialized, the jolt sent another pulse through her body and Jasper all but lost her balance. She stepped off the warp pad and sat on the first piece of solid ground she could find. Desperate, she tried to meditate again, breathing slowly and evenly. The next pulse didn’t feel as bad, and the third was mild. Jasper tried to keep that calm as she stood up, heading for the other side of the rocky terrain. Once again, Jasper was slow to move, worried she would elicit another aching pulse through her already sore body. When she wasn’t sure she could move much more, Jasper called out to her mate. “Amethyst, I really need to talk to you. Please, can you come out here?” Jasper sat on the ground again, trying to find focus.

Amethyst heard Jasper’s voice and contemplated not answering. She wasn’t in the mood to work things out, and why did they always have to deal with things on Jasper’s terms? But there was something about Jasper’s tone that sounded off. Reluctantly, Amethyst stood and stepped out of what she deemed her hole to see Jasper sitting on the ground, her eyes tightly shut. 

She hurried to her mate and sat down beside her. Amethyst could tell something was wrong, and she didn’t want to cause Jasper any more pain so she refrained from touching her. “Jasper? Talk to me …” She watched as the orange gem took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Jasper could feel the soft hair on her skin stand up as she felt Amethyst next to her. Slowly, she turned her head to her mate and opened her eyes. 

“I’m sorry,” Jasper said slowly. “I should have said something earlier.” Amethyst could feel how warm Jasper was even from a few inches away. She looked up into Jasper’s eyes and saw they were dark and dilated. 

“Are … are you in heat?” Jasper moved her head in a stiff nod before grinding her teeth. Amethyst inched away from her mate and sat across from her. She knew Jasper had few options for dealing with this in any comfortable manner, but she didn’t know what the orange gem wanted to do. 

“Well,” Amethyst said softly. “We could get it over with, but do you really want another litter?” Jasper chewed at her lip. “Yeah, I know,” Amethyst replied. “Okay, how long have you been like this?” 

Jasper took another deep breath. “Yesterday. I started meditating and combat practice, but once the aching started I couldn’t concentrate anymore.” Just as she finished, Jasper felt another pulse through her body. 

“I’ll try to help,” Amethyst said softly, “if you want me to. But it’s just going to get worse if I touch you.” 

“No,” Jasper shook her head. “I can hold it together for a little longer. I just … wanted you to be around.” Amethyst watched as Jasper picked herself up slowly and walked towards the warp pad. They warped back to the beach house and went to Jasper’s room. 

Amethyst paced anxiously as she watched Jasper sit on the bed to meditate. “Babe,” Jasper said slowly, “I can’t meditate with you pacing. You need to relax.” 

“I’m sorry,” Amethyst replied. “It’s just hard to know I can’t help you. That I’ll pretty much make it worse if I come near you!” 

“I know,” Jasper said, squinting one eye, trying to dull the uncomfortable feeling. “But babe, please, just sit down at least?” Amethyst sat on the floor and watched her mate. They were quiet for a little while as Jasper tried to concentrate on meditating. After about an hour she opened her eyes. “I hate this.” 

“I know, but you’ll get through it. How long do you think it’s gonna be?” Jasper thought for a moment.

“Probably another day and a half?” 

“Maybe try to make it until after breakfast?” Jasper gave a slow nod. 

After another two hours, Jasper was bored with meditating. “Thanks for talking with the kids, Am, I appreciated it. I’m … sorry I couldn’t do it.” 

“It’s okay,” Amethyst said with a smile. “We’re a team. Sometimes you need a break and that’s alright.” 

“Someday,” Jasper sighed, “they are going to ask. Someday they will be old enough to understand, and they are going to want to know why I slept with Lapis.” She felt an oddly sharp pulse through her body and winced. 

“Shh, stop Jasper. Just focus on breathing and listening. Breath in, babe.” Amethyst watched as Jasper closed her eyes and focused on inhaling. “And breathe out. When they are old enough, and can ask that kind of question, they will also be old enough to know what it means to be in heat. They will understand that sometimes, you lose it a little. What would you say if one of them was in a similar situation?” Jasper clenched her jaw and growled under her breath. “Oh stop. You’d tell them it was okay and things would be fine, because you love them. And they would be. So give yourself a break would you? I mean, things turned out pretty great.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter ... but it didn't make sense to include it with the next chapter. Next chapter starts with Lake and Jewel bonding with Momma! Enjoy.

It was almost breakfast time and Jasper was on edge. She had somehow managed to get through yesterday, but her body was achy and her desire to feel her mate was maddening. “I’m going to start breakfast with the kids, I’ll be back soon okay?” Jasper nodded, eyes closed. 

When Amethyst got to the kitchen, Garnet was there. “Jasper doing alright?” Garnet asked softly. 

“Yeah, she’s gotten through so far.” Garnet nodded and went to the couch as two gemlings bounced into the kitchen. 

“What are we making today guys?” Amethyst asked with a smile.

\---

As Amethyst entered Jasper’s room, she saw her mate lying on the bed, eyes closed. The door clicked closed and Jasper opened her eyes to look at Amethyst. The purple gem wasn’t sure what to say, it was clear Jasper couldn’t take much more. The orange gem let out a low pitched whine through her clenched jaw. Amethyst slowly crawled onto the bed and ran her hand over Jasper’s arm. The orange gem purred under her fingers, desperate to feel Amethyst’s touch. Amethyst could see Jasper was in agony. She pulled Jasper close and kissed her gently. Jasper pulled herself from Amethyst’s kiss and press her mouth to the purple gem’s ear. “Please?” Jasper purred, drawing out the word. 

Jasper hadn’t really been in heat before, at least not like this. The last time was during her argument turned mating session with Lapis. She had been frustrated and angry and Lapis had caught her just as her heat started. Having successfully mated, she didn’t feel the same kind of urgency or aching she did now. Prior to her arrival on Earth, there hadn’t been suitable mating partners, therefore she had just never really gone into heat. But spending every day with Amethyst had encouraged her body to want to have another litter. Jasper’s eyes closed as she let her mate provide waves of temporary relief that washed over her. 

After spending the rest of the day in bed, Jasper was starting to feel better. Amethyst looked at Jasper, pulling her face towards her. “You drew blood babe,” she said gently, swiping her finger over Jasper’s lip. “Don’t bite down so hard!” Jasper let out a sigh as Amethyst kissed her softly. “How are you feeling?” 

“I’m feeling like I have the best mate in all the universe,” Jasper said, nestling her head into the purple gem’s neck. “No one is as lucky as I am. I’m sorry for being so moody and needy recently.” 

Amethyst laughed. “I’m sorry for being so irritable and short fused. I love you. I wouldn’t want a life without you.” Jasper sighed contently as they cuddled. 

“Am?” Amethyst tilted her head to get a better view of the gem in her arms. “Maybe we could think about having another litter?” Jasper sighed contently again, thinking of how happy Amethyst made her. 

“What brought that on?” Amethyst asked, smiling, though her mate couldn’t see. 

“I was just thinking of how happy I am with you. And how nice it might be to share something like that with you. You know … having gemlings that shared qualities of both of us.” Amethyst kissed Jasper’s forehead. 

“Yeah, it might be nice. But what about the litter we already have? Laz seemed pretty heartbroken at the thought that Momma might not love her as much as a quartz.” 

“We both know that isn’t true! We named Laz because she looked like Lapis. She inherited all the things that make Lapis so beautiful.” 

“I know,” Amethyst hushed her mate. “I adore her and her 5 sisters. I still think about when they were born, how amazing it was.” She kissed Jasper’s head again. “How great you did.” 

“I didn’t do much,” Jasper said with a blush. 

“Untrue. You carried them then gave birth to them! That took a lot, Jasper. You were pretty sick at the beginning.” 

“It wasn’t that bad,” Jasper said clearly embarrassed. Amethyst cradled Jasper’s face in her hand. 

“You went through a lot. It was your first litter and you didn’t even tell anyone for the first 5 weeks. That’s a long time to be feeling sick and worrying about what you’re going to do. And you had a litter of 6, which isn’t small. You did great.” 

“I don’t remember much of their birth.” Amethyst pulled Jasper close as she sighed. “I was so tired.” 

“You were amazing. When Storm was born, you were so focused you didn’t hear her crying. After I put her in the basket, you were worried because she wasn’t making noise. I told you she had already made plenty and now she was asleep.” Jasper smiled “I was so proud of you. I could tell it was tough and that you were tired, but you made it through. Finally, Sky was born and I put her in the basket with her sisters, but she wouldn’t sleep. I made sure you were sleeping then went back to have a chat with her. She chirped for a while before deciding she wanted to sleep. Just like she did all those nights after.”

“Thank you,” Jasper leaned in to kiss Amethyst. “You were such a wonderful mate through it all. I remember every time I was in pain; you’d be right there. I know when it started, I woke up and the first thing I felt was your hand against my back. And everything was better because I knew you were there. It was so much easier when I had you close by.” 

Amethyst pulled the blanket over them and wrapped her arms around Jasper. “I’m always right here love.”


	19. Chapter 19

Jasper had agreed to go on a walk with Lake and Jewel. The two normally quiet, introverted gemlings had asked Jasper if they could go to the other side of the beach to look for sea glass and Jasper had told them they needed an adult to accompany them. After the corrupted gem incident, the gems had agreed that the gemlings weren’t quite old enough to be wandering around too far from the temple. Many of the corrupted gems could still sense when there were other gems around and that left the gemlings vulnerable. Lake and Jewel had begged Jasper to walk with them and she had finally agreed. 

After a lot of debate, Lake and Jewel finally stopped, telling Jasper this was the spot they wanted to look. The gemlings hurried into the water, looking for rocks or uneven parts of the shoreline that could collect sea glass. Jasper sat on the sand and watched them, happy her daughters were enjoying themselves. Jewel and Lake weren’t always very outgoing, so they spent much of their time playing just outside the group of their loud, energetic sisters. Jasper was pleased to see them in a situation that put them at ease. The little ones looked like they were having a lot of fun, splashing and chasing each other through the shallow water. Jasper watched as Jewel tried to run away from Lake, who was using her wings to help in her game of dumping water over Jewel’s head. They disappeared behind the rock wall and Jasper called to them to come back. When the gemlings didn’t respond, she stood, walking towards the rocks that weren’t very far away. As she did, she saw Lake fly back from the rocks, falling to the ground and running back towards her. 

“Momma!!” Lake cried, looking terrified. Jasper ran towards the gemling, scooping Lake up in her arms as she rounded the rocks and stopped abruptly. There, she saw Jewel struggling to free herself from the grasp of what appeared to be a gem. The tall, green, metallic gem was holding the gemling away from herself with her detachable fingers, inspecting her oddly. 

“Peridot!” Jasper said firmly and the green gem startled. Peridot tilted her head in confusion.

“Jasper?” Jasper had been hoping to never need to see the green gem again, but as she was holding her daughter essentially hostage, she wasn’t particularly happy about the circumstances. 

“Put her down,” Jasper said in the steadiest voice she could muster. Jewel was placed back on the beach and ran to her mother and sister. Jasper put Lake down and leaned over to speak to both of them. “It’s okay. Don’t be scared, Peridot isn’t going to hurt you. But I want you both to go back home. Okay?” The gemlings stared at their mother with slight confusion but nodded. “I’m going to talk to her and I’ll be home soon. Go …,” Jasper said giving them a gentle push. She watched as the two ran around the rocks. They weren’t too far from the temple so she wasn’t worried. And Jasper knew she could out run Peridot if she needed to. 

“Why are you here?” Jasper asked once she believed her daughters to be out of earshot.

Peridot laughed before speaking. “Jasper, gemlings? They seem to have their gems located on their backs. And one is able to summon wings. I suspect you mated with the Lapis Lazuli, am I correct?” Jasper growled a low, uncontrolled sound from the bottom of her chest. The green gem was getting dangerously close to angering Jasper and if she knew better, she would stop the questions now. 

“Why are you here?” Jasper asked again, this time with an undeniable lack of patience in her tone.

“I was fulfilling my job. I checked on the fusion experiments and now I’m searching the beach for the remaining parts of the ship so I can finish rebuilding it and return to Homeworld. I should however be asking what you are doing. I assumed you had been captured, but it appears I was incorrect.” 

 

Lake and Jewel charged into the beach house and into Amethyst’s arms. “Woah, what’s the hurry?” The purple gem had been in the kitchen preparing something … inedible to consume. 

“There’s a gem on the beach! She caught Jewel with her robot fingers but Momma made her let go.” Lake rambled until Jewel cut her off. 

“Momma told us to go home. She’s talking to her, I think her name is Peridot?” Amethyst put her food down as calmly as she could, as not to scare the kids. 

“Are you two okay?” The gemlings nodded. “Alright. I’m gonna go check on Momma, you two go play in your room alright?” They both agreed in unison. As soon as Amethyst was out of the beach house, she took off down the beach in a sprint. 

 

Jasper was agitated. Peridot wasn’t so much a threat as an annoyance that required a significant amount of effort to deal with and jasper wasn’t interested. “I’m not captured. And if you EVER lay your hands on my gemlings again, you will wish Homeworld was your biggest problem. 

“Hhmmm, so they were yours,” Peridot replied deep in thought. “Well Jasper, as you know Homeworld will be expecting our report. Do you plan to bring them back? As Peridot spoke, Amethyst came around the rock formation. “Ahh! What are YOU doing here?” Jasper turned to look at what Peridot was screaming about. 

“Hey Perri, long time no see, what have you been up to?” Amethyst spoke in a clam voice and sounded dangerous, at least to Jasper. 

“Aren’t you going to do something?!” Peridot shrieked at Jasper, obviously scared of Amethyst. Amethyst just rolled her eyes.

“Why are you even here, Peridot? Did you come to get your gem bubbled?” 

“No!” the green gem replied defiantly. “I’m going back to Homeworld.” 

“Like hell you are,” Amethyst replied, calling her weapon and moving forward. Jasper put her arm out to stop Amethyst’s advance and the purple gem held her ground.

“Jasper, aren’t you going to stop her?!” Peridot had moved backwards plotting her escape route. 

“Pretty sure I just did,” Jasper replied with annoyance. 

Peridot continued to address Amethyst. “I plan to return to Homeworld. I was just consulting with Jasper to see if the gemlings would be coming back with us.” Jasper turned to Amethyst, expecting the purple gem to be seething, but she was calm and silent. Jasper wasn’t sure what to do, she had figured she would just drag Peridot back to the temple and see what the others wanted to do with her. After all, Jasper had agreed to stay on Earth, and after having her litter, there was no way she was going back to Homeworld. But Amethyst’s silence worried her. She knew the purple gem saw Peridot as a threat to her family and Jasper knew first-hand how Amethyst reacted to that.

Jasper stepped back, allowing Amethyst to take the lead. She didn’t think Amethyst would do anything particularly savage, at least she hoped not. Amethyst pulled a second whip from her gem and stared down Peridot. The metallic gem’s eyes darted back and forth between Jasper and Amethyst. Finally, she spoke in a shaky voice.

“Jasper, aren’t you going to help me?!” Jasper took another small step back, not responding. 

“This, Peridot, is between you and me. Leave Jasper out of it,” Amethyst said in a steady tone. She snapped both of her whips before letting them fall to the ground and disappear with a poof. Peridot looked terrified, the exact emotion Amethyst was going for, but the green gem felt better now that that Amethyst’s weapons were gone. 

“I have no business with the likes of an abandoned kindergarten gem.” Peridot’s voice was shaky, but less so. 

“Oh, is that so?” Amethyst asked, still quite calm. Peridot mistook Amethyst’s calm, gaining a false feeling of security regarding the situation and turned her back on Amethyst. 

“Affirmative. I only wish to speak to Jasper.”

Amethyst tilted her head back, removing her hair from her face. Jasper cringed, wondering if she should intervene. She felt bad for the green gem, clearly unaware she was walking into the path of a gem prepared to viciously defend her family. Before Jasper could make a decision, Amethyst had summoned her weapon and caught Peridot. The enemy gem was dropped in front of Amethyst wrapped in her whip, Amethyst’s foot firmly placed on the gem’s chest. 

Peridot was stunned. She twisted and turned trying to get free while yelling at Amethyst. “Let go of me, you, clod!” Amethyst pulled the whip tighter, pushing the air out of Peridot’s lungs. The green gem grew quiet.

“Peridot, this is a warning. If you place one metallic finger on one of my daughters ever again. If you scare one them in any way. If you so much as think about causing them any type of harm. So help me, Peridot, I will continue pulling until your form dissolves and I will crush your gem in my hands.” Amethyst held eye contact with the gem, demanding an acknowledgement. “Do you understand me?” Amethyst said calmly, separating each of her words. “Peridot nodded, terror in her eyes. Amethyst looked towards Jasper before letting go of the whip and walking back towards the beach house. 

Jasper approached Peridot and hesitantly touched Amethyst’s whip. As she did, the whip dissolved with a poof, freeing the metallic gem from her confines. Peridot brushed herself off, still quite shaken from her encounter with the kindergarten gem. She looked up at Jasper, unsure what to expect. “I see you’ve been acquainted with my mate,” Jasper said dryly. Peridot’s eyes widened. “Now let’s go.” Peridot shook her head, suddenly regaining her rational thought. 

“What? No. I will not go anywhere with you! You sat there while that … that kindergarten runt attacked me!” 

Jasper clenched her fists and growled. “Be careful what you say about my mate, Peridot.” 

Peridot wasn’t following anything that was going on. She felt very uneasy by her confusion. “You’re MATED with that … crazy purple terror?” 

Jasper’s temper started to show as she bared her teeth. “Are you coming or am I going to force you?” Jasper hesitated, but didn’t wait for an answer. Without warning, she called her helmet and slammed Peridot into one of the rocks beside them. She immediately retreated into her gem. Jasper caught the gemstone and watched as the robotic parts clattered to the ground. Jasper shrugged and left them as she walked back with the peridot in her palm. 

 

As Jasper entered the beach house, she saw four other gems, obviously waiting for her. She walked over to Garnet and placed the peridot in her hands. The fusion promptly bubbled it and sent it to the temple. “I told you she would bring her back,” Amethyst said as she passed Garnet. Pearl watched as Amethyst paced the room. 

“You’re making me anxious! Can’t you just sit down?” Pearl said harshly as Amethyst walked by. Without a word, Jasper reached over and took Amethyst’s hand as she passed, pulling the purple gem towards her. Amethyst stopped pacing as Jasper’s thumb repeatedly brushed over her hand gently. She forced herself to focus on the feel of Jasper’s hand against hers. 

“Tell me exactly what happened,” Garnet said, adjusting her glasses as she spoke. Jasper sighed as she sat on the floor, Amethyst choosing to sit behind her, back to back. 

“Lake and Jewel ran behind the rocks farther down the beach. I called for them to come back and there was no answer. As I went to follow them, Lake came back, saying something had Jewel. It was Peridot. I … asked her … to release Jewel then I sent the kids home.” Amethyst cracked her knuckles trying to channel her anger. “She said she was checking on the fusion experiments in the kindergarten and looking for parts of the ship. She asked if I was bringing the gemlings back to Homeworld with me. Amethyst showed up with a convincing argument on why she should never lay a hand on the gemlings again. After Am left, I asked Peridot if she was coming with me or if I had to take her by force. She took too long to answer. All her metallic parts are still over on the beach.” Garnet nodded, disappearing out the door to collect and bubble Peridot’s mechanical remains. The remaining four gems sat in silence. 

After a while, Lapis finally spoke up. “You didn’t have to destabilize her, Jasper.” The orange gem looked up, anger flashing through her eyes, but at the feel of Amethyst tensing against her, she calmed down. They couldn’t both be out of their minds, and Amethyst hadn’t calmed yet. Jasper would have to wait her turn.

“First of all, I didn’t destabilize her, I rammed her into a rock. Second, I didn’t smash her gem. She is perfectly fine and capable of regenerating.” Lapis lowered her eyes, breaking eye contact with the orange gem.

“I’m just saying, maybe there was another way.” 

Jasper took a deep breath before speaking. “I wasn’t worried about what Peridot was going to do to me. She’s a technician with no particular training in combat. I’d actually argue that any of the gemlings could take her with no problem …”

Garnet interrupted the orange gem’s comments as she returned. “But, she’s in contact with Homeworld and has shown herself to be a danger to the gemlings. We had no choice.” 

Jasper looked back up at Lapis. “I didn’t hurt her, I promise.” With that, Amethyst stood abruptly, eyes downcast and walked to the warp pad and in seconds she was gone. 

Pearl looked alarmed, but Jasper only sighed. “Should we go after her?” Pearl asked softly.

“She went to the strawberry field,” Jasper said without looking up. The fusion nodding in agreement. Jasper was emotionally drained, keeping it together was a lot harder than just slamming her fist through Peridot’s gem. “I’ll go after her in a bit.” 

Pearl slowly stood, “No, I’ll go. That is, if it’s alright with you.” Jasper gave her an affirmative nod and Pearl warped off. When she arrived, she saw Amethyst throwing boulders against the side of a cliff. Pearl watched as the gem sent rock through the air repeatedly with her whip. Even from a distance, Pearl could see that Amethyst was crying. She took a tentative step forward, “Amethyst?” 

The purple gem froze, but didn’t turn around. “What Pearl?” Her tone was harsher than she intended, but it didn’t stop Pearl. She approached Amethyst and gently turned her around. 

“What’s wrong?” She didn’t think it would be as easy as just asking, but Pearl hoped it might work. Amethyst stared without saying a word. “Amethyst, tell me what’s going on. Why are you out here destroying stuff and crying?” The purple gem sat where she was, holding her head in her hands. Pearl knelt down next to her. “Amethyst?” 

“I don’t know! I don’t know, okay?” She finally spoke and it startled Pearl. “I’m just, still really angry and I needed to do something to calm down.” 

Pearl took Amethyst’s hand in her own. “But, why are you crying?” Amethyst leaned over and wrapped her arms around Pearl in a hug, placing her forehead on the taller gem’s shoulder before starting to cry all over again. 

 

Lapis looked towards Garnet and then Jasper. “What is Amethyst so angry about?” 

Jasper rubbed her head. “Peridot just said some things, that’s all.” 

“But you don’t seem that upset,” Lapis said wrinkling her forehead. “If it was worth getting upset over, I would have expected you to be fuming.” 

Jasper stood and walked to the temple door. “Yeah, well we can’t both be out of our minds with rage now can we?” she snapped before exiting the beach house. 

“What the hell?” Lapis stared at Garnet, clearly confused. “What did I say!? You know Jasper, she gets pretty pissed fairly easily. I would have thought that if whatever happened was that bad, Jasper would be more upset than she was.” Garnet moved to the couch and patted the seat next to her, beckoning Lapis. The water gem sat, still confused. 

“Jasper is just trying to be a good mate. She knows that she needs to be there for Amethyst and she can’t do that if she is as worked up and angry as Amethyst is, so she’s trying to hold it together.” 

Lapis scoffed loudly. “That’s stupid.” 

“No it isn’t,” Garnet replied. “That’s what you do for others you care about. Why do you think Amethyst told Pearl herself that Jasper was carrying instead of letting Jasper tell you both at the same time?” Lapis bit the inside of her cheek. “She knew Pearl would be upset and she wanted to make sure she had time to deal with it before you needed her support. It’s the only way a good relationship functions, Lapis.” Lapis sighed. She knew Garnet was right, she just didn’t quite understand what had Amethyst so upset.


	20. Chapter 20

Amethyst entered Jasper’s room to the orange gem sitting in the middle of the bed, meditating. She opened one eye to look at Amethyst and then closed it again as she spoke. “Were you throwing rocks?” 

Amethyst stretched as she walked towards the bathroom door. “Yup.” 

This time the orange gem opened her eyes and stretched herself. “Feel better?” Amethyst stood in the doorway and phased away her clothing.

“Nope, not really.” Jasper got off the bed and joined her mate in the doorway.

“Want company?” Amethyst just nodded in reply. Jasper turned on the shower and stepped in as Amethyst followed. They stood under the falling water for a few minutes in silence until Jasper spoke. “I was so angry when I saw her holding Jewel. I wanted to tear her metallic limbs off.” 

Amethyst wrapped her arms around Jasper and smiled. “I know babe. You were incredibly patient, I’m sorry that I lost it.” Jasper pressed her body against her mate’s before kissing her deeply. 

“No, she was never going to trust you. I needed to be the one to hold it together. But, I almost felt sorry for her when you spoke. She was terrified.”

Amethyst looked skeptical. “Was I scary? I thought I was incredibly calm.” Jasper laughed at the purple gem. 

“Well, when you're calm, others should probably be terrified. I think she mistook the calm before the storm for the silence of passive prey.” Jasper kissed Amethyst again, happy to lose herself in the feeling of being with the one she loved. She turned Amethyst around and started to lather shampoo into her hair. Amethyst purred as Jasper rubbed her head. 

“I could enjoy this for hours,” Amethyst sighed. With that, they heard knocking on the bedroom door. “Ugh what the …”

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I’ve got it.” Jasper got out of the shower and wrapped her hair in a towel. “Wash the shampoo out of your hair love,” Jasper called over her should. She shook the excess water from herself and phased on her clothing as she headed to the door. She opened it to Storm staring back at her. “Hi Storm,” Jasper said with a smile, but Storm just stared back. “What’s wrong my little fighter?” Jasper knelt down to look at her daughter. Storm’s eyes were red, as if she had been crying, but the gemling refused to speak. “How about we take a walk? Just let me go tell Amethyst okay?” The gemling nodded and waited in the doorway. 

Jasper walked back to the bathroom, opening the door slightly. “Am? I’m gonna go take a walk with Storm. Can you check on the others when you’re out of the shower?” Amethyst agreed and Jasper pulled the towel from her head, shaking her hair free. “Come on Storm,” she said as she smiled at her daughter. “Let’s go find a place to take a walk.” 

Once they got outside the beach house, Jasper hoisted Storm on her shoulders and walked down the beach. “So my little trouble maker, what did you do today?” Jasper leaned forward so Storm was looking at her upside down. The gemling held tightly to Jasper’s shoulders and giggled. 

“Laz and I built a sand castle with Connie and Steven!”

“That sounds really fun.” Jasper stood up again after allowing the gemling to tumble over her. They both sat in the sand as Storm wrinkled her nose. 

“It was fun, but the tide washed it away.” 

Jasper smiled at the little one, “But that just means you can build another one.” She pushed the small gem’s fury of hair back against her head. “Why’d you come see me tonight, love?” Storm dug her fingers into the sand and watched the misplaced grains build around them. 

“The others don’t want to play with me,” she said quietly. 

Jasper furrowed her brow as she looked at Storm. “What do you mean?” 

“They don’t want to play with me,” the gemlingly sighed. “Jewel and Lake think I’m too loud, Jay and Sky said I push them too much, and Laz never wants to do the things I want to do.” 

Jasper looked at the gemling sympathetically. Storm had most definitely inherited Jasper’s desire for destructive activities and occasional inability to tone it down. “Well baby, everyone has their own way they like playing. Jewel likes to read and Lake likes puzzles. Laz and Jay like playing in the sand, and Sky likes to pretend. Sometimes you have to do what others want to do, you need to take turns.” 

“I do!” Storm pouted. “But sometimes they don’t want to play with me at all!” 

Jasper could tell the gemling was frustrated. “What kind of things do you want to do that the others don’t?” Stormed shrugged. 

“They won’t play any of the games I want to play. They won’t spar or play knights and dragons or race or any of those things. They say I always win or that I play too rough. They … they don’t like me.” Tears slowly began to fall down Storm’s face as she spoke. Jasper pulled the gemling into her lap. 

“I think that each of your sisters loves you very much. But maybe, they just don’t like the same kind of things you like.” Jasper gave Storm a kiss on her forehead. “All of us have different things we like and dislike. It is a part of what makes us who we are. You are a gem who likes to run and compete with your sisters and spar. But Lake, for example, likes to sit with her puzzles or dance, or swim. And I know you want to do fun things with your sisters, but sometimes they don’t think your games are fun. Maybe you could compromise and do something that isn’t exactly what you want to do. Then later find someone else to play that game with you?” 

Storm sniffed quietly, not answering the question. Jasper looked down at her daughter and realized something. Storm had a look of defeat in her eyes, like she was being deprived her natural desire to burn off energy and challenge her inherent strength. The orange gem had an idea. “Storm?” The little one looked up at Jasper. “Would you like to do conditioning with me in the morning?” 

“What’s that?” Storm asked as she blinked up at Jasper. 

“Well, in the morning, Amethyst goes to the kitchen to make breakfast with Steven and some of your sisters, right?” The gemling nodded. “While they are doing that, I usually go out to do some of the things I think are fun. I practice things until I get better at them; running, lifting things, swimming, jumping. I keep track of how good I am and work really hard to get better. It’s hard, but I really like doing it.” The little one’s face lit up as Jasper spoke. 

“I didn’t know you did all of that stuff, Momma!”

Jasper laughed. “Of course you did! You’ve seen me doing it during sparing.” 

“Nah-uh! You don’t do that stuff.”

“Well, practicing that stuff makes me better at sparing. Sometimes when you spar, jumping really high or running really fast can help you win.” Jasper winked at Storm who giggled. 

“Can you show me? Can you show me how high you can jump?”

“Alright,” Jasper looked around. “But only if you show me how high you can jump first.” Storm got off Jasper’s lap and they both stood. “Okay, I want you to concentrate really hard, focus. Then I want you to jump as high as you can.” Storm moved away from Jasper and dug her feet into the ground before crouching. She closed her eyes and took a breath before pushing into the earth, jumping as high as she could. Jasper watched as Storm left a small indentation in the ground as she pushed against it. The gemling was able to jump 3 or 4 times her own height. The orange gem shook her head. She should have noticed before that Storm needed an outlet for her energetic personality and her rapidly developing strength.

“Wow babe, do you know how high that was?” Storm shook her head. “That was at least 3 times taller than you are!” 

The gemling smiled brightly. “Now you! Show me how high you can jump.” 

“Are you sure?” The gemling danced around excitedly.

“Yes!! I wanna see!” 

Jasper took several steps away from Storm. “Alright then.” She dug her feet into the ground, just as her daughter had before, closing her eyes for a moment to focus. Jasper leaned into her back leg before impressively jumping and landing, leaving a rather large crater in the sand. Storm’s eyes were wide and she smiled when Jasper looked at her. 

“How do you do that?” Jasper laughed. She could easily clear 20 times her own height, but Storm could see that another day. 

“I practice. I’ve been practicing for a long time. Would you like to practice with me?” 

Storm sat in the sand looking up at Jasper. “Just me and you?” Jasper smiled, knowing her daughter was excited for the attention. 

“Me and you. Sometimes Garnet comes too, but a lot of the time it will just be me and you, kiddo.”

“That sounds pretty awesome!” Storm smiled. 

 

Jasper stretched out on the bed waiting for Amethyst to return from the kitchen. Jasper knew she was still irritated about Peridot; she only ate this late at night when she wanted to be distracted from her thoughts. Amethyst opened the bedroom door and pounced on top of Jasper. “Ooofff. Hi babe, what was that for?” Amethyst pressed her face into Jasper’s neck, forcing the orange gem to move her head to make room. “Am, what are you doing?!” Jasper giggled. 

“Nothing.” Amethyst wiggled excitedly. “Just getting comfortable.” 

“I’m not a pillow!” Jasper said as she pushed Amethyst off her playfully. She watched as Amethyst pouted and eventually pulled her mate back into her arms. 

“How’s Storm doing?” The purple gem asked, her head still resting on Jasper’s shoulder. 

“Seems we’ve been neglecting Storm’s little warrior heart. The others don’t want to play contact games with her because they feel she’s too strong and always wins. She was worried the others didn’t like her. She’s going to come with me in the morning for conditioning.” 

That sounds like it would be really good for her. She already has rather impressive strength.”

“Yeah. She wanted to see how high I could jump, so I made her jump first. She can get 4 times her height.” 

Amethyst smiled. “Of course she can. She’s built just like you.” 

Jasper leaned into Amethyst, pulling her close and inhaling slowly. Amethyst’s hair held the faint smell of citrus and Jasper sighed. “How can you love me so much?” Amethyst tightened her grip on Jasper but didn’t say anything. “I mean it,” the orange gem sighed happily. “How can you possibly love me as much as you do?” She turned to look at Amethyst, opening her eyes just enough to see the purple gem smiling at her. “I was … so cruel towards you.” Amethyst ran her hand against Jasper’s cheek. 

“And I gave you a black eye for it.” 

“Are you trying to say we’re even? Because I don’t think a black eye is equal to …” She was cut off by Amethyst’s lips softly pushed against hers. 

“No, the black eye wasn’t to get even. The black eye was to let you know I was pissed and that if you tried to pull that shit again, it wasn’t going to end well for you.” The purple gem sighed softly and smiled at her mate. “It isn’t about getting even. Worthwhile gems sometimes do bad things. I could see the potential for all the other things. And I saw them before, it was just a matter of you deciding who you wanted to be. And lucky for me, you decided to be this version of you instead of continuing to be that one.” Jasper weakly smiled back at Amethyst. She wasn’t fully convinced that she had as much good in her as Amethyst said, but the purple gem spent significant amounts of time trying to convince her otherwise. 

Amethyst placed her lips to Jasper’s neck and kissed her softly. A low moan escaped Jasper’s lips unintentionally. “You’ve changed, Jasper.” Amethyst kissed the orange gem again this time against her cheek. “You don’t argue nearly as much as you did. You don’t yell at anyone and you don’t want to intentionally harm anyone.” She moved so she was straddling Jasper, looking into her eyes. “If you hadn’t changed, you wouldn’t have been gentle with Peridot. You wouldn’t have just forced her to retreat to her gem, you would have wrecked her in a fight then thought about crushing her gemstone. You aren’t that gem anymore. But only you know what made you decide to change.” She kissed Jasper again, but pulled away after the kiss. 

Jasper ran her thumb over Amethyst’s arm, thinking about her mate’s statement. After a while she responded. “Being here … that’s what changed me. Being on Earth was the first time I felt like I had the option to change if I wanted to. I didn’t feel like being the warrior who never lost was the only way to survive. There were other ways.” She looked away from Amethyst, “I could act more like you, let things be, enjoy the things I had, smile and laugh more. And when I decided that, I realized that spending time with you made me … it made me feel like I was happier but didn’t force me to be someone else. You never forced or even asked me to be someone else.” Jasper turned back to the purple gem, leaning up towards her and cupped Amethyst’s face in her hands. “You showed me that I could be loved as I was.” 

Amethyst reached out and traced the stripe across Jasper’s face. “How could I not love you the way you are? The way you are is so perfect.”


	21. Chapter 21

Jasper opened her eyes slowly, trying to focus on the feeling of being awake. She always found the transition between sleep and wake to be rather strange. She was feeling odd, but wasn’t sure if that was just a sign she wasn’t fully awake. After staring at the ceiling for a bit, Jasper realized the odd feelings weren’t going away. Her stomach felt awful, as did her head. She was finding it harder and hard to keep her eyes open and her limbs felt weak. The more she tried to move, the less she was able to, and eventually she couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer. 

When Amethyst woke up, something seemed strange. She rolled over, reaching out towards Jasper and pulled the orange gem closer to her. As she did she noticed Jasper felt warm, incredibly warm. Amethyst sat up, running her fingertips over Jasper’s head. Jasper’s body was hot but her head was burning. The purple gem quickly grabbed some towels and ran them under cold water. She wrapped Jasper’s head in the towels, trying to cool down her gem. After a few rounds of replacing towels, Jasper gem felt warm, but no longer burning. Amethyst sighed softly. “I’ll be right back Jasper,” she whispered to her clearly unconscious mate. “I promise.” 

She returned with Garnet, Pearl, and Lapis in tow. The four gems stood around the bed staring at Jasper. “She was like this when you woke up?” Garnet asked. 

“Yes, she was just really warm but her gem and face were burning. I tried to get the temperature down to something reasonable before I left to get you guys.” Garnet placed her fingertips against Jasper’s gem. It was still warm to the touch. Lapis removed the towels and replaced them with new, cold ones. 

“Jasper, can you tell me how you’re feeling?” Garnet asked. The orange gem’s eyes twitched slightly, but she didn’t respond. “Can you open your eyes?” Jasper still didn’t respond. Amethyst looked up at Garnet before speaking. 

“Jasper, I know it’s hard, but we’re trying to help. Can you squeeze my hand?” Amethyst felt Jasper’s fingers flinch in her hand. Hardly a squeeze, but she knew the orange gem was trying. “Good.” At least she can hear me, Amethyst thought. 

Amethyst looked over and noticed Pearl pacing the room. It wasn’t her normal, anxious pacing. It was her deep in thought pacing. Pearl was thinking about something. “Ideas, P?” Amethyst called over her shoulder.

“Well,” Pearl said as she walked back towards the bed. “It seems familiar, but I’m still working on placing it. Can you tell me what happened again?” Amethyst recapped the morning again to Pearl as she stared at Jasper. Pearl bit her lip as she listened, eventually leaning over and inspecting Jasper’s gem. “I’ve seen something similar, but those gems had somehow managed to chip their gemstones. Jasper’s looks okay.” 

Amethyst gently pushed Pearl aside as she leaned over her mate. She placed one hand on the side of Jasper’s head to hold her still. Amethyst closed her eyes and ran her fingers down Jasper’s gem, looking for anything that shouldn’t be there. “Here,” Amethyst said, gently tilting Jasper’s head sideways. 

“It appears so,” Garnet said as she looked down to where Amethyst was indicating. Jaspers gem seemed to be chipped. 

“Are you sure?” Lapis said. “I don’t see anything.” Pearl nodded in agreement. Amethyst took Pearl’s finger and ran it over the location of the chip. 

“How could she have done that?” Pearl asked as she pulled her hand away. “That’s a pretty deep chip.” 

“Combat practice,” Amethyst said, clearly frustrated. 

“Huh? How? We were all there, we would have noticed if something like that happened.” Lapis looked confused and Pearl agreed. Amethyst got up and kicked the wall. 

“No! Ugh. Jasper was just in heat. Before it got really bad, maybe four days ago? She was trying to meditate. She was getting frustrated so she decided to go do some combat practice. I bet she chipped it then and it just got worse. She wouldn’t have told me if something like that happened. Especially if she thought it wasn’t a big deal.” Just then there was a knock on the door. 

Amethyst opened it to see Storm standing in the doorway. “Is Momma still going to go do training with me?” Amethyst picked up the gemling and stepped outside the room, closing the door.

“Of course she will, but it will have to wait a little bit. Momma isn’t feeling well right now.” 

Storm looked into Amethyst eyes and all but whimpered, “Is she okay?” Amethyst kissed the top of Storm’s head as she brushed her tower of hair aside. 

“She is really sick, but we are going to take care of her, I promise. That’s why Garnet and Pearl and Lapis are in there with her. She will be feeling better soon, and when she is, she is going to do training with you. She told me last night how excited she was for it. AND, she told me how awesome you are at jumping. I can’t wait to see.” Storm wrapped her arms around Amethyst. “Aww, no worries baby, Momma will be better soon.” 

“Can I see her?” Amethyst thought about it. She didn’t want to scare Storm, but she didn’t want to hide things from her either. 

“Sure baby, but she isn’t doing well. Don’t let that scare you though, Momma will get better.” 

Amethyst returned to the bedroom with Storm in her arms. The gems gave her a questioning look, but she ignored it. Storm clung to Amethyst as they stood over Jasper. “What’s wrong with Momma?” the little one asked, sounded more curious than scared. 

“She dented her gem, baby.” Amethyst sat next to Jasper and let Storm run her finger over Jasper’s gem. Storm put her head down against Amethyst’s shoulder. 

“Lake can fix that.” Amethyst pulled her head away to see what her daughter was saying. 

“What, Storm?” 

“Lake can fix that,” the gemling repeated. “When we were really little, Jewel fell backwards and that happened to her gem. She said it hurt a lot and she was sitting in the sand crying. But Lake fixed it. She rubbed her gem until it was better.” Amethyst looked at the other gems in silence. 

“Well,” she said to her daughter, “maybe we need Lake to come help fix Momma’s gem.” 

While Lapis went to get Steven, Amethyst took Storm back to the gemlings’ room. They found Lake still in her section of the room and went to talk to her. “Lake,” Amethyst said gently, “Storm thinks that you can fix chipped gems. Is that true?”

Lake looked up at Amethyst with wide eyes. “I dunno. I’ve only done it two times.” 

“Can you tell me about it?” Amethyst asked. Lake nodded. 

“Jewel fell down onto some rocks. She hit her gem and it was dented. She said it hurt a lot and she was crying. I sat with her and held her hand and rubbed her gem until she stopped crying. Then it was better. The other time was when Laz hurt her gem. I did the same thing, but it took longer.” 

Amethyst tried to stay calm. “Do you think you could try to do it again?” 

“Sure!” 

Amethyst let Lake sit by Jasper on the bed. The gemling put her hand up to her mother’s gemstone and winced. “What’s wrong Lake? Is it hot?” Amethyst asked. 

The little one pouted. “No, but a big rock hit Momma.” 

“What do you mean?” Steven asked the gemling. Amethyst continued to try to remain calm.

“I dunno. Momma had her helmet down and a big rock fell on her. It cracked her helmet and dented her gem.” Lake continued to run her little fingers over Jasper’s gem. “But she’s better now.” Amethyst touched Jasper’s gem and indeed didn’t feel the chip any longer. She pulled Lake into her lap as they watched Jasper. 

“Ugh. What happened?” Jasper woke slowly. 

“Momma!” Lake wrapped her arms around her mother’s neck. “Why’d you let a rock fall in your face? That’s dangerous!” 

Jasper leaned forward and kissed Lake’s forehead. “Yes, baby, you are absolutely right. That is a dangerous thing to do and I won’t do it again.” Jasper reached out for Amethyst’s hand and squeezed it tightly. 

Amethyst smiled and pressed her forehead against Lake’s lifting her hand for a high-five. Lake gave Mamma a high-five and smiled. “Good job baby girl, I’m proud of you!” She sent Lake back to her room and the gems all sat in silence, shocked. 

Steven was the first to speak. “So, Lake can heal dented gems?” 

“Seems so,” Pearl replied. 

“And recall memories by touching them,” Jasper said. Everyone was quiet for a minute. 

“And it seems,” Amethyst said shaking her head. “That my mate does stupid, dangerous things, chips her gem and decides it isn’t worth mentioning.” Jasper pulled Amethyst towards her. 

“I’m okay, and I’m sorry.” Amethyst tried to look mad, but hearing Jasper say she was okay had her feeling slightly better.

“I think we might need to re-evaluate the gemlings and their abilities,” Garnet said thoughtfully. They all agreed. 

Amethyst took a deep breath and pulled herself together before glaring at Jasper. “Get it together, your daughter is waiting for you to take her for conditioning. I’m going to see if breakfast started without us. You ready Steven?” As Amethyst stood Jasper grabbed her hand and pulled her back into a kiss. “You’re awful,” Amethyst replied shaking her head before exiting the room with Steven. 

“Is Amethyst okay?” Lapis asked as she and Steven walked out. 

Garnet tilted her head slightly. “Yes, just relieved … and a little angry at Jasper for getting hurt in the first place.” 

Jasper winked at Lapis. “She’s fine, really. If it were serious, she would have …” Pearl spoke up.

“Jasper would have had more to worry about than a chipped gem.” 

Jasper stood and stretched. “Garnet? Care for some conditioning?” Garnet called her gauntlets and stretched them over her head. 

“Yeah, I’m in.” The gems all exited Jasper’s room, mostly prepared to start an uneventful day. 

\---

Jasper stood at the base of the cliff with Storm and Garnet. They had warmed up and were about to show Storm the basics of a parallel wall climb. “These exercises are only meant to be a little hard to do once, but difficult to do repeatedly. All the things we’re going to do are to build strength, increase speed, and improve agility. You ready?” Storm nodded. “Okay, here’s the first one.” Jasper inspected both walls before she started her climb. With a running start, she jumped from one wall to the other, back and forth in a zig zag pattern until she reached the top, then repeated it on the way down. Storm watched carefully and nodded once Jasper returned. Jasper sent her to another set of walls closer together to accommodate her smaller legs. “Once you get taller, you can work on those walls, for now, try this one.” The three gems stood at the base of the walls.

“2 minutes on, 30 second break, 3 minutes on, 40 second break, 2 minutes on, 30 second break, 1 minute, lightening. Ready?” Garnet said. “GO!” Jasper translated to Storm as they went. 

They continued with their training and Storm loved every second of it. She was happy to get to run, jump, roll, climb, and move as much as she wanted. And in the end, she was exhausted when they finished, but very happy. Garnet offered to carry the little one home, knowing Jasper was capable, but thought she would give Jasper a rest. She imagined the morning’s activities had taken some sort of toll on her. As they warped back, Garnet placed Storm on the floor. “Good job today.” 

“Yea,” Jasper spoke up, “you were great.” Storm smiled before running off to her room. Just as Jasper and Garnet stepped off the warp pad, Jasper noticed Amethyst’s glare. She knew what it meant. Jasper raised her hands slightly in a surrendering gesture and entered the temple. 

When Amethyst entered Jasper’s room, the orange gem was sitting on the bed, waiting for her. Amethyst closed the door gently before starting in on Jasper. “You have no idea how pissed I am at you!” Jasper tilted her head as she looked at the purple gem. 

“Not true. I’m sure I could take a guess and come pretty close.” Amethyst growled angrily. “Not to mention,” Jasper continued. “I’m not particularly pleased with you either.” 

Amethyst held her ground. “No. You aren’t going to use this to pick a fight with me. I wasn’t in the wrong here, Jasper!” 

Jasper crossed her arms and glared at her mate. “Neither was I, babe.” 

“Seriously! You’re going to sit there and tell me that chipping your gem and not telling me about it was an okay thing for you to do?!” 

Jasper stood slowly and approached Amethyst. The purple gem stayed locked in eye contact but backed away from her mate. Eventually she was cornered. Jasper took Amethyst’s hands and pulled her close, her eyes pleading for Amethyst to kiss her. Eventually, Amethyst leaned forward and kissed Jasper deeply. When it ended, Amethyst sat down on the bed, Jasper sitting next to her. 

“Feel better?” The orange gem asked. Amethyst exhaled slowly. They had learned a while ago that shouting at each other never fixed their problems. And Jasper’s favorite way to cool down before talking about something serious was kissing. 

Amethyst finally looked up at Jasper. “You first, why are you angry with me?” 

“How could you let Lake and Storm into our room this morning? They’re just kids, Amethyst. That wasn’t something they needed to see.” Amethyst moved closer to Jasper and ran her hand through her mate’s hair. 

“First of all, you weren’t that bad when I let them see you. You just looked unconscious and they’ve seen that before. Second, they’re gems, Jasper. They are going to do all the things we do; fight, get hurt, retreat into their gems, possibly chip or crack their gems. We can’t shelter them from that. I thought it was important for them to know that this is a normal part of their life. Yea, it’s scary, but that’s why we’re all here … we help each other. And Storm ASKED to see you.” Jasper kissed the side of Amethyst’s head. “And, had I not … we never would have found out that our gemlings have powers they haven’t told us about.”

Jasper nodded. “You’re right. I guess I just don’t want to worry them if we don’t have to.”

“I know,” Amethyst said. “But I tried to be very clear that you would be fine.” 

Jasper took a deep breath. “Okay, now your turn.” 

Amethyst placed her hand on Jasper’s leg. “Why didn’t you tell me?” 

Jasper shook her head. “I really didn’t think it was a big deal. The boulder came down and I wasn’t focused. I was distracted by, you know, being in heat and everything, and it hit me. It smashed my helmet, but I didn’t think it hurt my gem. I’ve had chips before, but they usually heal on their own. Honestly, with being in heat, I kind of forgot about it. Well, until this morning, but I felt so overwhelmed, so fast. I couldn’t move …” Jasper trailed off and looked at the floor. 

Amethyst pulled Jasper close. “I’m glad you’re doing better. And if you were really bad, I wouldn’t have let Storm see you.” 

“And if I had thought it was a bigger deal, I would have told you, I promise,” Jasper said with a smile.


	22. Chapter 22

All the gems and gemlings had gathered at the battle arena. They figured it would be a better place to talk than the living room and a better place for power manipulation than the beach. “So,” Garnet spoke first. “It seems that you guys have some abilities we weren’t all aware of. And we thought you might want to tell us about the awesome things you can do. I want to remind you that each gem has their own set of abilities and we are all really excited to know what they are.” 

Lapis spoke up, “Knowing what everyone can do helps decide what we should do when we need help from another gem. For example, I know that Pearl can create hologram duplicates of herself. If we were ever in need of a distraction, Pearl can set up some great ones. And of course, it’s just cool!” 

It turned out that most of the gemlings had developed skills they hadn’t mentioned before. Jasper had already noticed, but Storm had strength and speed surpassing that of a standard quartz. Lake had her ability to recall memories as well as the ability to heal minor physical gem damage. Jay could calculate probable moves during battle in real time, navigating an opponent’s likely next steps and determining her own. Jewel could duplicate herself for short periods of time. Laz had water manipulation that surpassed standard movement; she could feel water, knowing when it has been moved or disturbed. But Sky didn’t want to admit to any powers other than her flail. 

Jay poked Sky in the ribs. “Aren’t you gonna tell them??” Sky kicked at her sister while trying to stay unnoticed. 

“Shhhhh!!”

“But, Sky!” Jay whined. 

“Shush!” 

Amethyst watched Sky and Jay’s interaction but didn’t say anything. The gemlings finished their demonstrations and they all headed back to the warp pad. Amethyst whispered to Pearl and Garnet before letting the group go past her. She placed a hand on Sky’s shoulder and held her back as well. 

Once everyone was gone, Amethyst spoke to Sky. “I heard you shushing Jay. Is there something you want to talk to me about? If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t make you.” Sky bit her lip and it reminded Amethyst of Jasper. 

“I didn’t want to talk about my power with everyone,” the striped water gem said softly. 

“Okay,” Amethyst replied. “You don’t have to.” She kissed the gemling’s head and started walking towards the warp pad before Sky stopped her.

“Mamma? Can I show you?” 

Amethyst turned back to face Sky. “Sure baby.” 

Sky took Amethyst’s hand and walked her over to the small pond that sat just outside the arena. The small gem sat at the edge and put her hand into the water. Sky looked focused and Amethyst wasn’t sure what she was doing. The gemling looked up and pouted. “I can’t do it.” Amethyst put her hand on Sky’s shoulder. 

“It’s okay. Why not try one more time?” Sky nodded and went back to concentrating. Amethyst saw the water begin to ripple. She slowly reached towards the water and as her fingers touched the surface, she saw it … and felt it. An electrical current ran through the water and buzzed as Amethyst pulled her hand quickly away. 

Sky’s eyes widened. “Mamma, did I hurt you?” Amethyst put her finger into her mouth for a second. 

“No, babe. I’m okay. You can give off electrical pulses from your HANDS??” Amethyst asked, slightly confused. 

“Only sometimes … in water.” Amethyst smiled at the gemling. 

“Nah, I bet you can do it through any media you want.” Amethyst called her whip and sent a current skipping from the whip to the pool of water. 

“Woah.” Amethyst let her whip disappear and sat back down next to Sky. 

“I can only do it through my whip, but I'm sure if the source is your hands you can do it through any media you want. It’s a hard skill to practice. You can’t see the electricity when you start out. You don’t always know if you’re doing it or not unless someone else is there who can feel it. But there are other ways to see the electricity.” Amethyst called her whip back. She closed her eyes for a moment before snapping her whip. The tip hit a small bush which in turn caught figure. “If you want, we can practice during training. But it’s up to you Sky.” 

Sky stared at Amethyst, her beautiful blue eyes blinking. “I could do something like that?” 

“Of course! You can do even more,” Amethyst laughed. “You’re a gem Sky, you will learn you can do a lot of amazing things.” 

Sky threw herself into Amethyst’s arms. “Really!? I could be a great fighter like you and Momma? Even though … I’m a water gem?” Amethyst picked Sky up and started walking towards the warp pad. 

“Sky, listen to me. You are a gem, and that means you are already a great fighter. It doesn’t matter if you are a quartz, a water gem, a pearl, a sapphire, you are a fighter and you have amazing power. We just all fight in our own way. Lapis is a water, but she is an amazing fighter. She doesn’t like to fight if she doesn’t have to, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t strong and able to hold her own. You can too.” Sky nodded. 

“Okay, Mamma.” Amethyst kissed the gemling before they warped back home. 

 

When Amethyst got back, she looked for Jasper and Lapis. She found her mate waiting for her in the living room. “Where’s Lapis?” Jasper furrowed her forehead. 

“Not sure. Off with Pearl somewhere, why?” Amethyst grabbed Jasper’s hand. 

“I need to talk to you two. Let’s go find her.” Amethyst pulled Jasper to Pearl’s room and knocked on the door. After a minute or two, Lapis opened the door. 

“Ugh. Really guys? You have the WORST timing.” Jasper snickered and Amethyst elbowed her, hard. 

“Sorry Lapis,” Amethyst replied. “We can talk later, but I do need to talk to you.” 

Lapis rolled her eyes. “Yea. Later.” Amethyst pushed Jasper away from the door as Lapis closed it, clearly irritated. 

“What do you think she was so busy doing?” Jasper said coyly.

“Stop Jasper, let them have their time alone. They let us have ours.” Jasper pulled Amethyst towards her and bit her neck before whispering to her. 

“They can have their time. Maybe we should get some too.” Amethyst’s body quivered slightly. 

“Not fair,” she whispered pushing Jasper away. “Let’s go check on the little ones before heading back to our room.” 

Jasper’s eyes sparkled as she grinned. “MY room.” Amethyst rolled her eyes before giving Jasper a quick bit to her shoulder. 

“Your room, love.” 

 

“Hi guys!” Amethyst greeted Jay and Laz. “What are you up to?” As Amethyst talked to Laz and Jay, Jasper went to Jewel and Lake’s room. She found the two sitting on Lake’s bed reading a book. The gemlings looked guilty as Jewel shoved the book under her pillow. 

“What are you guys up to?” Jasper asked the gemlings. They each blushed, unsure what to say. Jasper looked between Lake and Jewel before Lake spoke softly. 

“Are we in trouble Momma?” 

\---

Jasper stood outside the gemlings’ room talking to Amethyst. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but I think maybe we should talk to them.” 

“Which book was it?” Amethyst asked thoughtfully. 

“The hard cover one. I mean, there isn’t anything they shouldn’t know in it, but it is certainly not meant for gems their age.” 

“Alright, let’s talk about this tonight,” Amethyst said. “I’m gonna grab some food.”

 

While Amethyst was in the kitchen, Lapis came looking for her. “Amethyst! You wanted to talk?”

“You seem to be in a good mood,” Amethyst smiled as she teased the water gem. 

“Yeah, well. What can I say, I love my mate.” 

“I know you do. She’s a pretty good one, isn’t she?” 

Lapis smiled. “So, what was it you wanted?” 

“’Oh, well, I spoke with Sky after the group thing today. She’s feeling … a little shy and un-empowered? She wants to become a great fighter but she doesn’t think it’s possible because she’s a water gem. I was wondering if you’d be willing to spar with Jasper during our next training. I know you aren’t really the sparing type! But we both know you’re really good and I just thought it would be good for Sky to see that.” Amethyst flashed a begging smile at Lapis. 

“Ugh, Amethyst! You know how much I hate to spar! But … yeah, I guess I could do it for Sky, and you know for Laz.”

“Thank you Lapis!” Amethyst smiled. “I know they would really appreciate seeing you in action. And Jasper needs someone besides me to kick her butt.” 

“Oh, don’t worry,” Lapis giggled. “If I’m going to spar, I’m going to win.” 

\---

Amethyst pounced onto Jasper who was laying on the bed. “Hello love of my life, how are you doing this evening?” Amethyst giggled. She was in a good mood, happy Sky and Laz would get to see the great things a water gem could do. Jasper growled in a rather unfriendly tone and Amethyst rolled off her, sitting up. “What?” 

“How can you be so happy? You know, with what’s going on with Lake and Jewel?” Amethyst tilted her head and began to comb out her hair with her hands. 

“Jasper, what exactly do you think is going on with them. And what part of it are you so upset about?” The orange gem glared at her mate and growled again. “Woah! Stop,” Amethyst said abruptly. “There’s nothing to get ANGRY about Jasper. Not to mention, there’s no reason to be angry at ME. We can talk and figure out what to do …” 

“Amethyst! Two of our gemlings are having sex!” Jasper was clearly upset but Amethyst wasn’t happy she was being shouted at. 

“Jasper,” Amethyst said angrily. “Stop yelling at me. I’m in no mood for that crap.” Jasper growled softly under her breath. “Or that crap! Pull yourself together or I’m done with this conversation.” Amethyst glared at Jasper. She wanted to remind the orange gem that she could pull a pissed off quartz tantrum just as well if she wanted. Jasper got up and walked to the bathroom, returning to hand Amethyst her brush. 

“I’m going to take a shower. Will you comb out my hair when I’m done?” Amethyst half smiled at her mate. 

“Yeah, of course.” She thanked Jasper for her brush and continued dealing with her own hair. 

When Jasper returned from the bathroom, she seemed a lot calmer. She sat in front of Amethyst allowing her to comb out her mass of white hair. Amethyst gave Jasper a kiss before she started. “Babe, they aren’t having sex. They were just curious about it and hoped reading that book would help with their questions.” Amethyst felt Jasper’s body tense. “And that doesn’t mean they’re having sex! They aren’t even old enough to have fully developed sexual desires or feelings. So find your chill will you?” Jasper tipped her head back for a moment to look at her mate. 

“So they aren’t having sex. But reading that book could lead to them doing things they shouldn’t be doing.” Amethyst knew how Jasper would react to her next statement, so she put the comb down and placed a hand on Jasper’s shoulder. 

“Who cares? They’re growing up. They need to know what life is going to be like for them in the future.” Amethyst finished combing Jasper’s hair and tired it up, pulled back from her face. Jasper kissed Amethyst deeply before crawling into bed with her mate. 

“So, what do you suggest we do?” 

Amethyst took a deep breath. “I think we need to talk with them, all of them. You know, about growing up and reproduction and stuff.” 

“Uggh, really?” Jasper groaned. “Are you sure they are ready for that?” 

“Well, Jewel and Lake are … so yes, the others probably are too.” 

Jasper shook her head. “Yeah, yeah, I know. You’re right, I’m sorry. So, how do you want to do this.” 

Amethyst smiled at Jasper. “You tell me. You should make some of the decisions here, don’t just leave it up to me.” Jasper pulled Amethyst closer. 

“But, you make such good decisions! And I trust you.” Amethyst kissed her but clearly wasn’t going to let her get away with that. “Okay, okay. Maybe we can do it in pairs? I just don’t want to embarrass Jewel and Lake in front of their sisters.” 

“See,” Amethyst smiled. “Look at you making decisions! I think that’s a great idea. 

Jasper bit Amethyst’s neck softly. “You’re such a brat.”


	23. Chapter 23

Jasper took a deep breath, trying to keep from freaking out the gemlings. Amethyst eyed her, wondering if she would make it through having this conversation three separate times. They had taken Storm and Laz out to an isolated forest clearing to speak with them. Amethyst and Jasper had spoken and tried to plan out their approach, but they knew they would have to wing it depending on what the kids were willing to open up about.

Amethyst sat against a tree, enjoying the scenery and the sunshine. The gemlings sat with Amethyst while Jasper leaned against the tree, staring off at the horizon. “Storm, how’s conditioning?” Amethyst asked. The gemling smiled and spoke for a short time about how much she enjoyed spending time with Jasper and Garnet, working on technique and execution. Amethyst then moved to Laz. “What about you? How is training going for you, Laz?” Laz grinned brightly and started to talk about the most recent ability she learned, manipulating ice back to water. Jasper watched as the gemlings' faces lit up talking about their training. She loved how much the two of them enjoyed it. 

When the conversation lulled, Amethyst decided to bring up the reason they were there. “Momma and I wanted to talk to you two about some stuff. You’re not little gemlings anymore and there are some things we think you’re old enough to learn about now.” Jasper sat down next to Amethyst, deciding she should probably be active in this conversation. 

“You both are getting so big,” Jasper smiled. “So we thought it was important to make time to talk with you two.” Amethyst was happy Jasper was a least trying. She knew how uncomfortable the orange gem felt talking about these things. “Do you have anything you want to ask us about?” The gemlings were silent for a bit. Amethyst cuddled closer to Jasper in an attempt to calm her mate. She reached out her hand and laced her fingers through Jasper’s. 

Laz giggled behind her hands. “Amethyst, why are you always so cuddly with Momma?” Amethyst turned and looked at Jasper. 

“Yeah, Amethyst. Laz has a really good question,” Jasper teased. Amethyst dug her nails into Jasper’s hand, instead of playfully biting her like she would have wanted to. 

“Hmm,” Amethyst thought for a second. “Because she is my mate and I love her.” 

Storm decided that was her cue to jump in. “But Momma isn’t like that.” This time Amethyst looked towards Jasper. 

“Well, Jasper, what do you have to say about that?” the purple gem teased. Jasper’s face turned red as she looked at Amethyst’s hand in hers. 

“Uh, I dunno.” Amethyst laughed. 

“Momma is cuddly; she just doesn’t like to show it. She gets embarrassed.” Jasper’s face turned more red. “Remember how we talked about mates? I love our whole family, but I love Jasper in a different way.” 

Laz tipped her head slightly, a mannerism she got from Lapis. “Do you love her more than you love everyone else?”

“Nope, just differently.” Amethyst smiled at the irony. It was amusing that she would be so able to articulate her feelings for Jasper. She wasn’t known for being the gem who could discuss emotions, but she supposed that in her relationship, she was more likely the capable one. “When you find someone that could be your mate, you feel differently about them. It’s different for every gem, but there are a lot of ways you could feel. When I knew Jasper and I should be mated, I was really happy to be around her. I wanted to spend lots of time with her and be affectionate.” Amethyst paused for a moment, running her finger over Jasper’s ring. “As you grow up, there are a lot of feelings you can have that are unfamiliar. You can feel ways about others that you haven’t felt before and they are hard to explain. But it’s just part of growing up.” 

Jasper took a deep breath before starting the conversation she felt really needed to be had. “How much do you two know about a gem going into heat?” Laz’s face turned a deep blue as she looked away from her parents. Amethyst was quick to catch this. 

“Laz? Do you know about gems going into heat?” The water gem nodded slightly, curling into herself clearly embarrassed. “What do you know?” Amethyst asked gently. 

“Well,” Laz started, “sometimes gems get really strong feelings for another gem. And … if they have complementary parts … they can … have a litter of gemlings.” Amethyst was curious as to where the gemling found this information, but Jasper didn’t seem to notice it was a topic that should have been beyond their daughter’s scope. 

“Well yes,” Jasper said. “That’s right.”

Amethyst interrupted, “How did you know that Laz?” Amethyst had her suspicions. 

The water gem avoided eye contact with Amethyst. “There’s a book … on the bookshelf by your room Amethyst,” Storm said quietly. “We were curious so we read it.” 

Amethyst nodded, “Okay, so do you two have any questions about what you read in the book?” 

Storm looked at Jasper, clearly a little embarrassed but still curious. “If a gem is in heat and has a mate, does the gem who sires their litter have to be their mate?” Amethyst put her hand on Jasper’s leg gently, as she did she felt the orange gem flinch ever so slightly. 

“No Storm,” Amethyst replied. “When a gem is in heat, they WANT their mate to sire their litter, but sometimes it doesn’t work out that way. And sometimes that gem isn’t mated. Being in heat is a difficult feeling to deal with.” After feeling she had pulled herself together, Jasper spoke. 

“Sometimes a gem doesn’t even know she’s in heat. She may just feel strange and have strong feelings to do things she normally wouldn’t. But if a gem is mated, her mate can usually tell she is in heat, sometimes before she herself can tell.” 

Laz looked at the ground when she spoke, “Momma, what does it feel like?” Jasper’s cheeks flushed red, but she tried to answer her daughter’s question anyway. “It’s different for everyone, but I can tell you how I feel. For me, it starts by feeling really tired and easily irritated. After that, I feel sort of bad. My gem pulses and sometimes hurts a little, but I can usually make it feel a little better if I just sit and meditate.” 

Laz bit her lip. “What can you do to make it stop?” 

“It goes away on it’s own after a while. A couple days,” Amethyst said. 

“What if you want a litter?” Storm chimed in. 

“Well, it’s designed to encourage a gem to have a litter. If I’m in heat, I feel a little better the closer Amethyst is to me. And if Amethyst were to sire a litter with me, I would immediately feel better.” 

Storm wrinkled her nose, “It sounds like punishment.” Amethyst laughed. 

“It’s just a feeling that you really want something. And as you get bigger, you realize that sometimes you can’t have what you want or think you want,” Jasper said with a smile. “I’ve got 6 beautiful gemlings and when I go into heat, Amethyst and I have to decide if we want another litter. Right now, we don’t. We want to focus our time on our little ones who are growing up so fast! It’s hard, but you learn to cope with it.”

Laz and Storm seemed to be out of questions so the four headed back to the beach house. Once they got back, the gemlings ran off leaving Jasper and Amethyst standing outside on the beach. It was still early afternoon. “Ready to do it again?” Amethyst asked Jasper softly. 

“Not really, but I suppose it’s better to talk to them all today because you know they will talk among themselves tonight.” 

Amethyst smiled back at Jasper. “You were great.” Jasper reached out for Amethyst’s hand as they went to find Jay and Sky. 

It seemed that Laz had shown the book to Sky, and Sky had read it with Jay. So the pair of gemlings were also aware of gem reproduction. Jasper asked them if there were any things they wanted to talk about or questions they had. Sky had pulled at Jay’s arm and whispered something to her. Jay’s cheeks tinted orange, but she didn’t seem ashamed to ask. “What does it feel like?” Amethyst waited to see if Jasper wanted to answer. The orange gem paused for a moment trying to gather her thoughts. 

“When you’re in heat, and your mate is there to sire your litter, in that moment, everything feels incredibly perfect.” Jasper unconsciously leaned towards Amethyst. “But that’s the purpose of gems going into heat. It’s supposed to make you want to have a litter with your mate.” 

Jay looked contemplative. “What if you never find your mate?”

“If you want a mate, you will find them eventually,” Amethyst smiled. “Some gems decide they don't want a mate, and that's perfectly fine. And some gems do want to be mated, which is fine too. But it can take a while to figure out what you want. Gems live for many years. It can take a long time, but eventually, you find them. Jasper and I didn’t even like each other when we first met.” 

Sky’s eyes got big. “Mamma! Tell us about it, how did you and Momma become mated??” Sky climbed into Amethyst’s lap while Jay climbed into Jasper’s. Amethyst smiled. She knew her daughters were happy to be hugged and cuddled. Sometimes, Jay and Sky seemed very much like Steven. Not in a rush to grow up even though they were impressively intelligent and impossibly wise. 

“Okay, okay,” Amethyst said gently. “You know that Pearl, Garnet, and I were here on earth with Steven and before that, Steven’s mom. We were protecting it. Momma was a warrior for Homeworld planet and she came to earth because it was her assignment. When she got here and realized who Steven was, she tried to bring us all back to Homeworld. But, Steven managed to help us escape. Jasper’s ship was damaged and she was stuck here on Earth with us.” 

Jasper looked down at the gemlings. “Eventually, I realized why the other gems wanted to stay on Earth and I decided I wanted to stay with them. But Mamma was still very angry with me for trying to bring them back to Homeworld. I wasn’t very nice; I hurt Steven, I scared Pearl … and I made Ruby and Sapphire unfuse.” 

Jay looked up at Jasper, “Momma, why’d you do those things?” Jasper kissed the gemling’s head. 

“Because, Homeworld had a way of making me believe they were right. As a warrior I wasn’t expected to think, I just had to do what I was told. I thought what I was doing was right, but … I realized much later that it was in fact wrong. It was a mistake, Jay. After a while, I told the others that I was sorry and that I wanted to stay here with them. It took some time, but Amethyst realized that I had changed.” 

Amethyst smiled, “And I realized that Jasper had become a different gem than the one I was angry with for trying to bring us to Homeworld. As we got to know each other, we realized that we were actually very happy together.” 

You could almost see the stars in Sky’s eyes. “When did you know Mamma was your mate?” She asked Jasper. 

The orange gem smiled. “As soon as she told me she forgave me for what I did.” 

“But how did you know?!” Jay asked, more animated than normal. 

“It’s hard to explain, love,” Jasper replied. “It’s just a feeling you get. When Amethyst holds my hand, I feel like we belong together. She’s willing to talk to me and work things out, even when we are angry with each other. When she brushes my hair or sits with me, it makes me feel comforted and …” Jasper trailed off. The gemlings looked over at Amethyst. 

“When Jasper and I are together, everything just feels … okay. I feel calm and happy.”

Sky giggled. “Mamma, when did you know Momma was your mate?” This time Amethyst blushed a deep purple.

She looked towards Jasper and smiled. “From the moment she said she wanted to stay on Earth.” 

 

Another return trip to the beach house to drop off another set of gemlings. Jay and Sky were far more interested in the romantic notions of mating than the physical process. Amethyst, however was pretty sure they understood both as well as they needed to. It was just after dusk when they returned and the gemlings ran off through the living room quickly. “Just once more,” Amethyst whispered to Jasper. The orange gem sighed audibly. 

“Yes, but this is the one I dread.” 

Amethyst gave Jasper’s hand a squeeze. “It will work out. I know it will.” 

They decided to talk with Lake and Jewel in Jasper’s room. Amethyst went to the gemlings’ room to find them while Jasper waited in her room. Amethyst thought Jasper could use a minute to figure out how she was going to get through this conversation. “Are you sure we aren’t in trouble?” Lake asked Amethyst as they walked down the hall to Jasper’s room. Jewel was close behind Lake, clutching the back of her shirt.

Amethyst stopped and knelt down slightly, pulling both gemlings closer. “Neither of you are in trouble, I promise. You’re getting older and we want to talk with you about some things, that’s all. We’ve talked to your sisters also, it isn’t just you.” Amethyst could tell neither were convinced. She ran her hand through Jewel’s thick hair. “Is this about what Momma saw you two reading yesterday?” Jewel’s eyes got big as Amethyst spoke. The purple gem sighed softly. “Momma loves you both and she is concerned about you two, especially you Lake. She wants you two to be able to talk to us when something is wrong; she wants to be there to help you. That’s all, I promise.” Jewel looked slightly more calm, but Lake looked about the same. Amethyst decided this was something she needed to handle with Jasper and continued to the bedroom. 

The gemlings sat together at the end of the bed, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. Jasper was fidgeting with her ring, carefully as not to break it. “Jewel?” Amethyst said gently. “I didn’t get a chance to talk to you yesterday. Can you tell me some things about your duplication abilities?” Jewel’s face lit up as she nodded. “How does it feel to control two of you? Do you feel like there is you and then another version of you that you just tell what to do? Or do you feel like they are both you?” 

Jewel thought about it for a moment. “There are two mees. I can be either if I want to, but it’s harder to be the one who doesn’t have my gem. I feel like I am one of them while the second one I sort of control subconsciously. I mean, it is consciously, but the first me isn’t 100% aware what the second me is doing.” 

“That’s a really cool power, Jewel.” The gemling beamed, happy for the support and approval. 

“Lake?” Amethyst said a little concerned. The gemling looked up slightly but didn’t make eye contact. “Sweetheart, is something on your mind? It really seems like something is bothering you.” Jasper was first to see the tears starting in Lake’s eyes. She leaned forward and pulled Lake into her lap. The gemling tried to resist but she wasn’t big enough yet to match Jasper’s strength. Jasper wrapped her arms around the little one and began to whisper very softly to her. Jewel and Amethyst couldn’t hear it, but Lake caught most of what Jasper was saying even over her soft sobbing.

“Lake, it’s okay. I don’t know what’s going on or why you’re so upset, but I promise it will be okay. I love you so much my little gemling. I want to help when things are worrying you. I promise nothing you do will make me love you any less. You will always, always be my little one and I will always protect and help you the best I can.” 

Amethyst watched as Lake turned into Jasper and hugged her, still crying. The purple gem turned to look at Jewel and tears were slowly rolling down her cheeks as well. “Come here,” Amethyst said gently and Jewel crawled into her lap. She softly stroked the gemling’s hair as they sat together in silence. 

After a while, Lake pulled her head from Jasper’s arm and sniffed. Jasper looked down at Lake, “Ready to talk?” The gemling nodded slightly and looked down at Jasper’s hands.

“Jewel and I read one of the books in the bookcase outside Amethyst’s room,” she said softly. 

Amethyst looked down at Jewel. “The gem reproduction book?” Jewel nodded.

Jasper glanced at Amethyst. “Okay. Your sisters have all admitted to reading it as well. It’s okay. I mean, the book was probably better for gems a little older than you guys, but now that you’ve read it, we should talk about it.” Amethyst could feel Jewel relax slightly in her arms. 

“Do you have anything you want to talk about?” Amethyst asked Jewel. The gemling’s face turned a bright shade of red as she looked down at the bed. 

“What’s up Jewel?” Jasper said gently. 

“I dunno if it’s okay to ask this …” 

Amethyst put her hand on Jewel’s. “I know it’s hard to talk about some of this stuff. But we’re your parents and we are here to help you with growing up. You can have these conversations with your family, just be careful not to hurt anyone’s feelings.” 

Jewel nodded as she chewed on her lower lip. “Momma … you had a litter with Lapis.” Jasper nodded slowly. “And you and Mamma are mated.” Amethyst nodded in reply to that. Jewel chewed on her lip for a moment more, trying to form her sentence. “But Amethyst hasn’t sired a litter with you. Have you had sex?” The gemling looked at the bed, her cheeks red. Amethyst laughed. 

“Jewel, it’s okay. We told you that you could ask us whatever you wanted to know. Now, that isn’t a question you should just ask anyone, but it’s okay to ask us.” 

Jasper’s face looked a little red as well as she spoke. “Yes, Mamma and I have had sex before. It is a fairly common thing for two mated gems to do. 

Lake looked up at Jasper innocently. “Why?” Amethyst laughed again. 

“You guys really know how to ask the hard questions don’t you?” Amethyst paused for a moment to think. “Maybe this will help explain it. You both are getting bigger, and you don’t need to sleep anymore right? Because as bigger gemlings, your gem can produce all the energy you need fast enough that you don’t need as much rest.” The gemlings nodded, that was something they had grown to understand. “But sometimes, you still sleep right? And sometimes you sleep because it feels good. It is something you have some internal desire to do and it feels good so you decide to do it.” Amethyst looked from Lake to Jewel to make sure they were both still following. 

“Well, sex can be thought of a little like that. There is some internal desire that makes you think about it or want it, plus, it is something one enjoys doing. Having sex with your mate is associated with other feelings. You feel closer to them, you get to spend time with them, you enjoy that they feel good. It’s a nice feeling to share with someone you care for in that way.” Amethyst looked over at Jasper. The orange gem smiled at her and Amethyst felt happy to be sharing this conversation with the little ones with her. Jewel and Lake seemed content with Amethyst’s answer. 

“Anything else?” Jasper asked.

Lake wiggled in Jasper’s lap. “Why are you mated with Amethyst?” 

Jasper smiled, not taking her eyes off her daughter. “Because she’s perfect. But don’t tell anyone. They might try to take her.” 

Jewel giggled in Amethyst’s lap. “No really!!” Jasper just laughed. 

“I can’t really explain it sweetheart. When you meet your mate, you know they should be your mate. I promise, when you figure out who your mate is, you’ll know too.” The gemlings smiled back at Jasper. “Alright my loves, have a good night and we’ll see you in the morning.” Jasper kissed each of her daughters before they kissed Amethyst good night and scrambled off the bed and out the door.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this entire chapter is pretty explicit. if it isn't your thing, you can skip over it.

Jasper sat behind Amethyst on the bed. “You’re so much more than I ever, ever could have wished for in a mate.” Jasper ran her hands over Amethyst’s shoulders. The purple gem leaned back into Jasper, closing her eyes. “So much more than I deserved.” She kissed Amethyst’s neck and listened to the purple gem groan. “I love you,” Jasper whispered sucking a deep blue bruise into Amethyst’s neck. “Let me show you how much I love you, babe.” Jasper purred into Amethyst’s ear. 

“Jasper …” Amethyst said softly, turning around to face her mate. Jasper gently pushed Amethyst to the bed. She saw her mate’s eyes were half lidded. Amethyst sighed as Jasper pulled away from her and fought to catch her breath. She knew Jasper could make her weak, make her helpless. And Jasper was the only one Amethyst would allow to make her feel that way. She paused as her mate whispered softly into her ear, “clothes” and focused on phasing off her clothing. 

“You can be such an obedient mate when you want to be,” Jasper purred lovingly. She leaned forward and took one of Amethyst’s nipples in her mouth. Amethyst let out a long sigh. The purple gem moaned as Jasper assaulted each of her nipples with persistence and hunger. As she did, Jasper reached between the purple gem’s thighs and began to stroke her already stiff cock. Jasper could tell her mate wouldn’t last very long. The intense, surprise bought of attention to her body had brought her quickly to the edge. Jasper could feel Amethyst’s body pulsing beneath her fingers. She wondered if she should try to pull her back, edging her to make it last longer or allow the intensity she was expecting from such an interaction. Amethyst made the decision for her as the purple gem dug her fingers through Jasper’s mound of hair and pulled hard. 

“Jasper!” Amethyst panted, tipping her hips forward, begging her mate to finish what she had started. Jasper slowly moved her head down Amethyst’s body, trying to prevent her mate from tearing out her hair by the fist-full. She pressed her tongue against the tip of Amethyst’s cock and slid her lips down the length, gently dragging her teeth across the flesh as she did. Amethyst’s hold on Jasper’s hair tightened, the purple gem moaning loudly as her mate’s tongue pressed against her and Jasper’s fingers brushed over Amethyst’s nipples once again. “Shit … ughhhh … Jasper!” Amethyst’s panting got faster as the pace of Jasper’s tongue increased. 

Jasper pressed her palms into Amethyst’s hips, holding the purple gem’s body against the bed. Amethyst let out a loud moan as Jasper raised her head just slightly, making eye contact with her mate. Amethyst rocked her hips into Jasper’s hands as she came, crying her mates name and moaning at each pulse. Jasper waited until Amethyst dug her nails into the orange gem’s shoulders, too tired to vocalize, before she softly sucked her mate clean and pulled her mouth away with a pop. 

She slowly kissed up Amethyst’s body until she was face to face with her exhausted mate. Jasper pressed her face into Amethyst’s neck and whispered to her, “How are you doing?” Amethyst let out a soft contented moan, eyes closed, wrapping her arms around Jasper. “Okay love, let’s go to sleep.” Jasper picked up Amethyst and moved her to the other side of the bed before phasing away her own clothes and curling up beside her mate. “Thank you for being wonderful,” Jasper said softly, kissing Amethyst’s cheek. “I never could have talked to the kids without you. I’m incredibly lucky to have you.” Jasper wrapped her arms around Amethyst and fell asleep with her mate firmly pressed against her chest. 

 

When Amethyst woke, she could feel the steady rhythm of Jasper’s chest rising and falling as she slept, a habit they both had acquired subconsciously. She placed her arms over her mate’s that held her close and sighed softly, content and happy with her life. She was still tired from the rather intense expression of devotion Jasper decided to demonstrate before bed, but she wanted to celebrate her mate getting through talking with their daughters without incident. Amethyst rolled over and nuzzled closer to Jasper, kissing the orange gem’s neck gently. Jasper wasn’t a light sleeper, but Amethyst didn’t expect her mate to stay asleep for much longer. She slid her hand between Jasper’s legs, teasing the flesh surrounding Jasper’s hypersensitive parts. As she did, she took one of Jasper’s nipples between her lips and lazily flicked her tongue back and forth. 

Jasper groaned, digging her nails unconsciously into Amethyst’s back, fueling the purple gem’s desire to watch her mate reach a maddening climax. Amethyst continued licking at Jasper’s nipples until the orange gem rolled over slightly, giving Amethyst better access to her visibly swollen clit. Amethyst whispered into Jasper’s ear, telling the orange gem many of the things she was thinking of doing to her. As she spoke, she started to press her thumb gently against Jasper’s clit. The orange gem moaned softly, struggling to pull herself from sleep. Finally, Amethyst heard a distinct groan, suggesting Jasper had fully woken. “Hi beautiful,” Amethyst whispered, still rubbing at Jasper’s clit painfully slowly. Jasper moaned quietly, digging her nails more forcefully into Amethyst’s back. 

“You did an amazing job of talking with our children … and I thought maybe … we could celebrate,” Amethyst said softly. Jasper’s hips bucked forward as Amethyst pulled her hand away. She kissed her mate deeply. “Shhh, I have other plans for you,” she assured. Amethyst pushed Jasper’s legs farther apart as she positioned herself between them. Jasper bit her lip as she watched Amethyst take her clit in her mouth and suck gently. Jasper moaned loudly, not awake enough to even consider trying to be quiet. Amethyst slid two fingers into Jasper’s core, pressing against the spot that caused Jasper’s body to quiver. The orange gem closed her eyes and let the first orgasm wash over her, her clit pulsing shocks through her body. In a minute or two the second was on her, fast. Amethyst’s fingers pressed in all the right places to help Jasper ride out the pleasure as long as possible. By the time that one was over, Amethyst had returned to sucking Jasper’s clit. 

Three additional orgasms later, Jasper was exhausted. She pulled the purple gem towards her and held her close. Jasper’s fingers twitched with left over muscle tension, her eyes rolled slightly back into her head. “Just didn’t want you to forget one of the reasons you like being mine,” Amethyst said softly, biting gently at Jasper’s neck. 

“Uhhhh, never could forget,” Jasper replied, still having a hard time opening her eyes.

“Shh,” Amethyst hushed her mate gently. “I love you,” she said as she ran her fingers through Jasper’s hair.

“Damn. I love you too,” Jasper replied, still out of breath. Jasper pulled her mate close, pressing her mouth to Amethyst’s ear. “Fuck Amethyst, take me …” Jasper sighed as she spoke. 

Amethyst giggled. “No babe, you’re exhausted. You should sleep, you came at least 5 times.” The orange gem licked at her mate’s neck, trying to change her mind. “Stop!” Amethyst whined. “Tomorrow. Tomorrow I promise okay?” Jasper mumbled her agreement while on the edge of sleep. “Sleep well my wonderful mate,” Amethyst said before she fell asleep herself. 

\---

Amethyst woke with sex on her mind. It wasn’t really a surprise, being that she spent the previous day talking to her little ones about reproduction and then falling asleep to the orgasmic bliss of being sucked off by her mate. Amethyst blinked a few times, trying to fully wake up when she remembered what she had done to Jasper in the middle of the night. No wonder she was thinking about sex, she thought. She check the clock to get an estimate of how much time she had. 5:40, okay, Storm would be looking for Jasper at about 7:00. Amethyst knew it wasn’t really enough time for what she wanted to do, so she figured they would spend some time together later.

Amethyst ran her hand over her mate’s ribs. Jasper pulled the purple gem close, running her fingers through the silver hair. “Morning,” Jasper said softly. 

“Hey, I didn’t realize you were awake,” Amethyst replied.

Jasper rolled slightly onto her side, resting her head on Amethyst’s shoulder. “Woke up just a minute ago.” Jasper's voice was quiet, airy sounding. Amethyst knew something wasn’t right. 

“What’s wrong?” She asked. When Jasper didn’t reply, Amethyst untangled their bodies. She pulled away from her mate, turning Jasper to face her before settling back down next to her. She looked into Jasper’s grey eyes and ran her finger gently over her gem. “Talk to me,” Amethyst said gently. 

“Just thinking,” Jasper said. She sounded far away, but Amethyst decided not to push. The orange gem was certainly allowed to have time to just think. Amethyst softly ran her nails up and down Jasper’s back as the orange gem closed her eyes. Amethyst recalled Jasper doing this before, it seemed that sometimes after particularly intense moments between them, Jasper would pull away, lost in herself. While Amethyst wished she knew what Jasper was thinking, the orange gem was never too keen on sharing and it didn’t usually last very long. Amethyst kissed Jasper’s cheek gently before settling back into the pillows for a bit. 

She was enjoying having Jasper close. She could lie in bed with her mate for hours and be perfectly content with her world. But she was starting to worry that something serious was on Jasper’s mind. “Babe?” 

Jasper tightened her grasp on her mate slightly. “Yeah, Am?”

Amethyst wasn’t sure what to say. “Are … are you sure you’re good?” Amethyst could feel the rhythm of Jasper’s breathing, but the orange gem didn’t respond right away. After a few minutes, Amethyst tried again. “I know something’s on your mind. I just mean, are you sure you’re okay? You don’t want to talk or anything?” Amethyst took a deep breath. “Was it about last night? Was it something I did?” 

Jasper pulled Amethyst closer and rested her hand against the purple gem’s hip. “You haven’t done anything wrong. I promise,” Jasper spoke softly, kissing Amethyst’s shoulder as she finished.


	25. Chapter 25

Amethyst eventually got up to help with breakfast. “Storm should be here soon for conditioning,” she said to her mate. “I’ll see you after breakfast sometime?” Jasper stretched, looking almost too big for the bed as she did.

“Yup.”

_Alright,_ Amethyst thought to herself. _I guess that’s that._ She was lost in thought as she walked to the beach house. As she entered, Jewel and Lake were waiting patiently for her to help them. They had already broken several eggs and mixed them with cheese and milk.

“Can we start the scrambled eggs? Please??” They asked, both smiling up at Amethyst. 

“Since you asked so nicely, yes. Do you remember what Steven told you about the stove?” The gemlings nodded. “Be careful.” Amethyst smiled as she shooed her daughters off to make breakfast, monitoring from a short distance. 

When the daily breakfast disaster was created, consumed, and cleaned, Amethyst took a walk on the beach. She wanted to just sit and think and thought the sunny day might cheer her up. The purple gem sat in the sand and watched the waves crash against a small cluster of rocks. _I wonder what’s got Jasper so distant. I haven’t seen her like this in a long time actually. Maybe yesterday was too much for her. I mean, it was a LOT to deal with. Having that discussion three times … I can see how it might not have been easy for her to process. Not to mention, sometimes she’s weird about sex. Maybe it was that, maybe I went too far._ Amethyst sighed to herself. She sat on the beach for a while, not really thinking about anything, waiting for an idea to convince her it was worth getting up for. 

She looked up to see Laz approaching her. The gemling was walking slowly and looked anxious. When she reached Amethyst she nervously sat down in the sand facing Amethyst at an angle. “Hi Laz,” Amethyst said cheerfully. She could tell something was bothering the gemling but wasn’t sure if she was here to talk or just to sit. Laz pulled at her hair before selecting a section and placing the ends in her mouth. Amethyst was happy to see she had gotten her nervous habits from Lapis. Had she gotten them from Jasper, she would have been pulling sections of her hair out completely. 

Amethyst reached over and brushed the hair out of Laz’s face, pulling the strands she was chewing out of her mouth. “What’s wrong baby?” Amethyst said gently. Laz looked at her hands she had placed neatly into her lap. 

“Mamma, what are your parents like?” Amethyst could tell by the ease the question was formed that it wasn’t what Laz wanted to talk about, but she indulged the gemling anyway. 

“I don’t have parents sweetheart.” Laz looked up curiously after Amethyst said that. “Some gems were made through reproduction, like you were. But others were made in a kindergarten; we were grown, sort of like plants. A rock that would eventually become my gem was placed in the ground, then while it was there it took all the nutrients and energy it needed from the land around it. Once it was strong enough, my form solidified and I came out of the ground.”

Laz looked confused. “So, if you plant a rock you can grow a gem?” 

Amethyst smiled. “Not exactly. Only special kinds of rocks and special kinds of land. But it isn’t something we do anymore. The rocks suck up all the life from the ground around it. Once a gem emerges, nothing else will ever grow from that land.”

Amethyst looked into her daughter’s eyes. She supposed she was old enough to know the truth. “Homeworld wanted to grow gems to build an army. They planted them here on Earth. Rose led a group of gems who wanted to stop them. They wanted to save Earth. That’s why there aren’t any more kindergartens on Earth.”

Laz squinted slightly. “If you didn’t have parents, how did you learn stuff? Who took care of you?” 

“Well, I was in the kindergarten alone for a while, everyone else had already left. But eventually Rose found me. Then I was with her and Pearl and Garnet for a very long time. They taught me a lot, but also, kindergarten gems emerge sort of full grown. So there were things I just emerged knowing.” Laz seemed to accept this answer. 

The little one was quiet for a while, it seemed she was processing the information Amethyst had given her, but soon she seemed anxious again. “Laz, was there something else you wanted to talk about?” Amethyst asked gently. Laz had begun chewing her hair again. 

“I … I have a question about my form.” Amethyst sat up, crossing her legs under her as she did. 

“Okay,” she said. 

“Does it ever … change? I mean, can it be … different?” Amethyst wasn’t sure what Laz was trying to ask, but she had a feeling it was more complicated than what she had said. 

“Well,” Amethyst started. “What do you mean? Gems can shape shift, so their forms can be any shape they want really. And if you regenerate, you make the decision of what form you want to return as. But inherently, you have a proper form that feels right and if you are some other shape for a long time, it can have consequences.” 

Laz looked down at her hands again. “I mean my reproductive parts I guess.” 

Amethyst placed her hand on Laz’s shoulder. “Sweetheart, what’s troubling you?” 

Laz took a deep breath. “I … I don’t have the reproductive parts to have gemlings.” 

Amethyst tilted her head, “No baby, you don’t. You would sire them.”

“But,” Laz wrinkled her forehead. “but what if I wanted to!” 

Amethyst beckoned the gemling to her lap. She wrapped her arm around her daughter. “When you’re older, you could sire a litter. And your mate would carry them.” 

“But … Momma said she knew how much she would love us before we were born, that she felt close to us because she carried us.” 

Amethyst ran her fingers through Laz’s hair. “You’re afraid that you’ll miss out on the experience of carrying a litter because you were born to be a sire?” Laz nodded slowly. “How do you know you wouldn’t be missing out on being a sire if you were born to carry a litter?” 

Laz paused for a moment to think. “I’m not sure. I didn’t think a sire did anything.” 

“Well, Momma told you what it was like to carry a litter. Do you want to hear about what’s it like to sire a litter?” 

Laz nodded energetically. “But Mamma, you weren’t our sire …” 

“Nope,” Amethyst kissed her daughter’s head. “But I was there from when Momma began carrying you. It didn’t really matter who sired Momma’s litter. Instincts don’t really differentiate. Remember when you started training. You would shield yourself with a wall of ice, right? No one needed to tell you to do that, you just knew it was what needed to be done. That’s instinct, and when you are the sire or the mate of a gem carrying a litter, you know there are a lot of things you need to be doing.

“First, you want to be there to support your mate. It’s hard to carry a litter and your mate needs to rest. And if their gem can’t provide enough energy, they need to eat. I spent a lot of time reminding Momma to eat or take a nap or just that she should sit down for a little while. You’ve got to look out for your mate. Sometimes, they forget that they can’t do things they used to be able to do. Momma would get really excited about training or sparing or even just walking on the beach. But I could see she needed to rest. Even when she thought she felt fine, I knew she should take it easy.

“Sires also have the responsibility of being supportive of their mate. When Momma wasn’t feeling well, I would try to make her feel better. You’re meant to take care of and support your mate while they carry. When they are in pain or uncomfortable, you do your best to make them feel better. Sometimes I would sit with Momma other times I would hug or cuddle her. Just being close would often help her to feel better. Sometimes your mate is just nervous and anxious. Especially if they haven’t had a litter before, it can be a little scary. A sire can just be there to help their mate feel more calm, less scared.” 

“Was Momma scared?” 

Amethyst laughed. “Momma was a little anxious. She knew she wanted to be a great parent, but she didn’t really know how. She also didn’t really know what it would be like to give birth to gemlings. It’s hard to have to do something you don’t know if you’re ready to do. And at the time you were ready to be born, Momma didn’t know if she was ready, but I was with her and tried to help her feel better. 

“But the best part is being there when the litter is born. Momma was amazing, but it took a lot of focus and a lot of energy, so for the first few days, I was the one who took care of you and your sisters. After a litter is born, the gem who carried is often too tired to do that. Momma slept for 4 days, waking up a little during that time but not much. And when she was awake, I made her eat some to help her recover. But I got to spend 4 days learning how special each of you were and how much I loved you guys.” Amethyst smiled. 

“You took care of us alone?” Laz asked, surprised. 

“Yes, as a sire you want to protect your mate, who isn’t feeling well, and your gemlings. They both need rest so you usually don’t want anyone else to be around. We stayed in Momma’s room until she felt well enough to introduce you to the rest of the family, but that was 5 or 6 days after you were born.” 

Laz looked contemplative once more. “It sounds really hard to carry gemlings without a sire.” 

“It does,” Amethyst nodded. “So, do you see how important the job is? I know it isn’t the same as carrying gemlings, but I know I still had a part to play in taking care of you.” 

“Thanks Mamma,” Laz said smiling. “I’m glad you took care of me while Momma rested. I’m glad Momma had you.” 

Amethyst hugged Laz tightly. “I’m so glad I got to be with Momma while you were born. Momma’s job was really difficult, but she was so great at it and you and your sisters are wonderful. Both Momma and I love you very much.” 

Laz beamed a sweet smile back at Amethyst. “I’m glad being a sire is important too. Did you know how important you were when Momma was carrying?” 

Amethyst thought for a moment before answering. “No, I guess I didn’t. What I knew was that my mate, who I absolutely adored, was carrying gemlings. And I wanted to be there to support her in whatever way she needed me to.” Amethyst gave Laz a half smile. “Remember when Storm was sparing last week and she lost? And she was really upset?” The gemling nodded. “You went and sat with her and gave her a hug. And later you played one of her favorite games with her to help her feel better? You were being a good sister and supporting someone you cared about. It’s kind of like that. I wanted to be there for Momma because I love her.” 

Laz curled up in Amethyst’s arms for a while watching the waves. She was happy; they didn’t get much time together and Laz really did love Amethyst. She showed her all the new things she could do, turning water form liquid to solid back to liquid, even making shapes. “You’re getting really, really good at that! Are you practicing?” 

Laz wiggled in Amethyst’s lap. “Yes!! You know I have been!” Amethyst laughed at the little blue gem in her lap. 

“Yes, of course I know you have been. You are still getting really good at that. I’m proud of you Laz.”

Laz cuddled against Amethyst like a cat. “Thanks Mamma. I love you.” 

\---

Garnet could tell something was going on with Jasper. She called the drills for that morning so the orange gem didn’t have to, watching to make sure Jasper didn't take out frustration in her conditioning and possibly hurt herself. Storm seemed very focused, trying to improve her form and speed. The gemling glanced at her mother, mimicking her determination and focus. Once conditioning was over, Garnet lifted Storm to her shoulders and headed to the warp pad. “Nice form. It’s clear you’re improving.” 

Storm smiled. “Really Garnet? Do you think so?”

Garnet placed the gemling onto the warp pad. “Have you ever heard me lie?” They warped back to the house and Storm headed to her bedroom. 

“Jasper, let’s talk,” Garnet said, walking out towards the porch. Jasper reluctantly followed the fusion outside. The orange gem leaned against the railing waiting for Garnet to speak. They stood in silence for a while until Garnet decided to break the standoff. “Nothing to say?” Jasper didn’t speak, staring off almost as if Garnet wasn’t even speaking to her. The fusion waited, giving Jasper the chance to speak if she was inclined. After a while, it was clear Jasper didn’t have anything she was interested in saying. Garnet adjusted her glasses. “You should talk to Amethyst.” She walked back towards the door and paused. “She IS your mate.” With that, Garnet entered the beach house, leaving Jasper to her thoughts.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, your "image" has been so ingrained into you, you worry that any deviation from that would bring about your demise. Sometime, things are programmed into your head for so long, you start to forget what is real and what you're imaging. Sometimes, you spend too much time worrying about what someone is going to think and not enough time enjoy the moment you have.

Jasper entered her bedroom to Amethyst sitting on the bed. The purple gem was quiet, it looked like she may have been thinking or meditating before Jasper arrived. Jasper sat on the bed and pulled her mate into her lap. Amethyst looked back at Jasper expectantly, unsure what the larger gem was planning to do. The orange gem leaned forward slightly and pulled Amethyst into a kiss. She held her arms around Amethyst and kissed her deeply, not bothering to come up for the unneeded air. After several minutes, she slowly pulled away, sighing. Amethyst took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, resting her head on Jasper’s shoulder as she did. She wasn’t sure why Jasper had initiated a kiss quite like that, but she couldn’t say she didn’t enjoy it. Amethyst lifted her head and looked at Jasper, waiting for her to make the next move. 

Jasper sat with Amethyst in her lap, content, her mate in her arms, her head on her mate’s shoulder. “The first time I had ever thought to ask anyone to take me … it was one morning while I was carrying the gemlings. I’m sure you remember. We had been awake for only a few minutes and I had pinned you to the bed. I thought about it later, about what had made me do something like that. But in that kind of post pleasure haze, I couldn’t figure out if it was just because I was carrying and things were strange, or if it had something to do specifically with my relationship with you. But I ignored it and since then, there have been other signs that I also ignored. But that was until last night.” 

Jasper pulled Amethyst gently down towards the bed laying on her back with Amethyst curled up against her chest. “I … begged you to take me … even after…” Jasper worried her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment then started again. “I tried to persuade you to change your mind when you said I should sleep. I volunteered to submit to you. I asked you to let me. Why Amethyst? Why would I submit to anyone? A jasper wouldn’t, -I- wouldn’t. I don’t submit to anyone.” Jasper rested her forehead against Amethyst’s as she ran her nails down the purple gem’s back. “But … you’re so much more than just anyone,” she whispered. 

“I know that I get sort of distant when things become … intense sometimes. And I’m sorry for pushing you away. I don’t mean to.” Amethyst looked up at Jasper. The orange gem noticed how soft her mate’s look was. 

Amethyst placed her finger along Jasper’s jaw and traced down her chin. “You don’t have to you know …” Amethyst said so softly Jasper almost didn’t hear her. 

“Don’t have to what?” Amethyst continued tracing Jasper’s features with her finger. 

“You don’t have to submit to me. I’ve never asked you to Jasper.” Amethyst kissed Jasper softly before sitting up. “I’m going to take a shower,” Amethyst said before getting up to head towards the bathroom. 

“Amethyst, wait.” Jasper reached out and caught the purple gem’s wrist. “Please sit back down. Let me at least try to explain.” Amethyst reluctantly sat next to Jasper on the bed. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them before resting her head on her knees. She looked towards Jasper and waited for the orange gem to speak. “That isn’t what I mean. That isn’t at all what I meant. You haven’t ever asked me to. And I know you would never make me do something I didn’t want to do. You’re too kind to ever dream of doing something like that.” Jasper took a deep breath and looked at her hands. She wasn’t sure she could fix this. She knew Amethyst was feeling really bad about the way she had been pulling away from her. This wasn’t the first time Jasper had done this and she knew Amethyst didn’t understand. She was the opposite, when things were intense, she wanted to be close to Jasper. 

“I was trying, unsuccessfully obviously, to say that this was all me. Yeah, I’ve asked you to sleep with me a ton of times, but it isn’t the same. The couple times … I’ve asked you to take me …” Jasper could feel her face burning as she spoke. “I meant it. I wanted to give myself to you. When things are so good between us … like last night … I just really want that. And if I think about what it really means … for me to want that … I don’t know. I pull away because I’m scared and it ruins how good everything was.”

Amethyst sighed softly. “I don’t care if we don’t move forward, but I really hate when we move backwards. If asking bothers you so much, then why don’t you just not ask?” 

Jasper looked up, frustrated that she wasn’t making herself more clear. “Because it isn’t the asking that bothers me, Amethyst!” Jasper regretted raising her voice as soon as the sentence left her mouth. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. I’m sorry.” She turned away from Amethyst. “It isn’t the asking that bothers me. I ask because I want it. But thinking about it, thinking about how I am willing to give up control, willing to trust you like that. Everything about it seems right but when I think about it … it just …” 

Jasper tried to hold back the tears of frustration as she spoke. “I love and trust you. And sometimes, I just want to give myself to you, I want to feel you in control. And when I look at you, the feeling just intensifies. I want that feeling, I want that moment of you being in control. But when I think about it later, when you’re not there, I have all this doubt. I think about how it isn’t in my nature to give up control, how I’ve never let anyone have control before. It’s always been considered a sign of weakness and I sometimes wonder if you would see it that way. And then I think about how you probably don’t even think about such ridiculous things and I argue with myself about what is normal and what is ridiculous and I panic. I get panicked and I worry that I don’t even deserve a mate like you and think about how if you saw how fragile, how vulnerable I could be, it might make you realize it too.”

Jasper was shaking. And Amethyst knew, without seeing her face, she was crying. Amethyst reached out and tugged at Jasper’s arm. The orange gem reluctantly turned around to face her mate. Amethyst moved closer, wiping the tears from Jasper’s cheek and pulling her frustrated mate towards her. She rested her chin on Jasper’s shoulder and spoke softly. “I love you. I love you and I’m planning to be with you for a very, very long time. It doesn’t matter to me that you were a warrior for Homeworld, or that you like to be in control. It doesn’t bother me that you spend extra time training to deal with your feelings, or that you get awkward talking with our gemlings about sex. I know you are a little insecure both about yourself and about our relationship. And I love that you are sometimes reckless and spontaneous. Jasper, I know who you are and I love that gem. I love you, not the gem you could pretend to be to make others happy. I love the gem you are now, the one you were before, the one you’re becoming. You need to worry less about what I’ll think, because I already love you.” 

Jasper sat in her mate’s arms, trying unsuccessfully to pull herself together. Amethyst finally understood what was bothering Jasper, what had caused her to pull away in the manner she had. She finally understood what Jasper was feeling. Ever so gently, Amethyst ran her fingers through her mate’s long hair. “Shhh,” she whispered almost to herself. Amethyst didn’t bother to try to get the tears to stop, she knew those would end soon enough. She wanted her mate to relax, to stop holding back. She wanted something she couldn’t force on Jasper; the orange gem would need to get there on her own. 

 

They sat for almost an hour in silence before Jasper pulled away from Amethyst. She stood with a determined look on her face. “Let’s spar,” she said, her eyes gleaming in a way Amethyst had grown to know (and love). 

“I think that’s a bad idea …” Amethyst said cautiously. 

“What? Scared to lose? Or scared to lose badly?” Jasper asked, knowing just how to flame her mate. 

“Says the gem who was just crying,” Amethyst boldly replied crossing the room and standing face to face with Jasper. 

“Bite me, runt,” Jasper said before pulling up her hair and walking towards the door. Amethyst knew Jasper wasn’t going to look back. And she knew she would follow her mate to the arena eventually, so she gave a passive shrug before heading out of the room. 

The two warped to the battle arena and walked out to the center. It was late, but the arena was well lit by the stars. Amethyst wasn’t particularly in the mood to fight her mate, but she could tell Jasper was ready and overly willing. Jasper cracked her knuckles and fixed her eyes on Amethyst. “Ready?” The orange gem growled. 

“No,” stated Amethyst flatly. “Again, I think this is a bad idea, Jasper. It’s already been a long night. Don’t you think maybe …”

“I didn’t ask for a lecture. I asked if you were ready,” Jasper replied without hesitation. 

“And I TOLD you ‘No’. Weren’t you listening?” Amethyst wasn’t sure if Jasper was trying to rile her up before the fight, or if she was just in the mood to be a jerk.

“Well, I suggest you get ready.” Jasper called her helmet and charged at Amethyst. 

 

It took almost 45 minutes, but in the end, Amethyst stood over her bruised and torn mate. The purple gem was seething, one hand holding her whip while the other reached down for her mate’s hair. “What … the hell … was that?” Jasper’s eyes flickered open as Amethyst lifted her head. 

“You can put the whip away. It’s over, you won.” Jasper licked at one of the lashes on her hand as she sat up. Amethyst took a step back. 

“I’ll put it away when you tell me what the hell that was.” Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Jasper. 

“Nothing, It’s over now.” Jasper slowly rose to her feet checking that she wasn’t hurt too badly before walking towards the warp pad.

“If you think I’m letting you warp back to the beach house looking like that, without giving me any answers; you’re sorely mistaken.” Amethyst cracked her whip to get Jasper’s attention. The orange gem realized just how tired she was as she sat back down not far from where she was before. 

“What do you want me to say, Amethyst?” Jasper stared at her hands as she spoke. 

Amethyst almost laughed. “One minute you’re in your bedroom having an emotional conversation with your mate and the next minute you’re in a death match with her. And you ask me ‘what do I want you to say’. Seriously? How about telling me what the hell this is all about! Were you trying to break me? Were you looking for a way to shatter my gem? Were you hoping I shattered yours? What The HELL?!” Jasper stood and approached Amethyst, cautiously leaning forward to kiss her. Amethyst resisted for a moment, but eventually leaned in and kissed Jasper before pulling away. “Fine,” the purple gem said, clearly irritated. She dropped her whip and allowed it to disappear. “But no more of that … speak to me … with words Jasper.” 

“I just … I needed a good fight.” Jasper’s words were soft. “It got a little out of hand. I’m sorry, it wasn’t meant to be so … violent. I wasn’t expecting to make you quite that angry.” Amethyst reached up and ran her thumb across the gash under Jasper’s eye. The orange gem winced and pulled away. 

“That wasn’t what I asked, Jasper. What was with the fight in the first place? You said ‘let’s spar’ not ‘let’s kick the crap out of each other’.” 

“I told you,” Jasper said. “I just needed a good fight.”

“Bullshit Jasper!” Give me the truth or you’re retreating into your gem and I bubble you until I decide I’m not mad anymore.” 

Jasper gave a half smile as Amethyst called back her whip. “No, okay, stop. Put that thing away. I already told you, you won.” 

Amethyst didn’t recall her whip, but sat in front of Jasper. “Talk, now,” she said in a much softer tone. 

“I dunno. I felt like everything was spiraling out of control. I couldn’t get a grip on how I was feeling, what was going on, anything. I just … I needed to re-center, to focus. And a good fight is the only way I know that works. And you aren’t a high level competitor unless you’re pissed off, Am.” Jasper sighed. “But really, I didn’t expect it to get this bad. I didn’t expect to make you as angry as I did.” 

Amethyst shook her head. “Your solution to emotional conflict is physical conflict. You’re such a baby,” Amethyst almost teased. “I’m sorry I’m not good enough to just talk things out with and instead you have to throw a tantrum and physically abuse your form. And mine for that matter. I hope this isn’t what you’re teaching Storm during conditioning.” 

Jasper almost laughed. “You know I couldn’t. Not with Garnet around.” 

Amethyst reached over and touched her mate’s arm gently. “I’m mad at you, Jasper. Keep that in mind. You look awful, are you planning to regenerate or no?” 

Jasper phased away her shirt and looked at herself more closely. “No, I’ll be good in a few hours. What about you? Your form took some nasty blows yourself.” 

Amethyst didn’t even bother to look. “I’m fine. Now phase into new clothes in case anyone sees us on the way back.” In a flash of purple, Amethyst was in a new outfit, torn only in the appropriate places. Jasper did the same before standing up. They walked back to the warp pad in silence, the orange gem reaching for her mate’s hand. 

They managed to warp back and reach Jasper’s room without encountering anyone. As they closed the door behind them, Amethyst spoke, “Shower. Now.” Jasper locked eyes with Amethyst, looking as if she was going to challenge her, but she decided against it. They got to the bathroom and Jasper turned on the shower before phasing her clothing away. Amethyst got in the shower first, standing under the warm water while Jasper stood behind her. As the water ran down Jasper’s arm, she winced. “Big baby,” Amethyst mumbled as she pulled her mate towards her. Jasper stood in Amethyst’s arms, letting the water run down her body until Amethyst turned her around. The purple gem poured shampoo into the white mane, washing and rinsing it several times until it was shiny again and free of soap. Jasper turned, reaching over to wash Amethyst’s hair but the purple gem pulled away. “Turn around,” she said gently. Jasper obeyed and Amethyst began to wash her back, paying attention to the lash marks scattered all the way down. When she was finished, Amethyst turned her attention to Jasper’s face. She took a washcloth and gently cleaned the gash under Jasper’s eye and the one across her cheek. 

Amethyst noticed how tired and run down Jasper seemed. “Sit down,” she said gesturing towards the edge of the shower. Jasper sat without arguing. Amethyst quickly washed her hair and rinsed all her lacerations before getting out of the shower. She pulled a comb through her mate’s wet hair and threw it into a braid, keeping it out of Jasper’s face. She wrapped a towel around Jasper and dried them both off before sitting on the bed. Jasper sat next to her and Amethyst noticed she looked incredibly tired. 

“Lie down,” Amethyst said softly, watching as Jasper obeyed wordlessly. Amethyst knelt over her mate, scanning her body, evaluating the damage done. “Close your eyes babe,” Amethyst said. Jasper looked back at her, clearly unsure what she was getting herself into. “Just do it,” Amethyst responded straddling her mate. Jasper closed her eyes and felt Amethyst’s lips on her own. “Keep them closed,” Amethyst instructed as she ran her tongue down Jasper’s neck. Jasper shivered, her nipples hardening as Amethyst looked down at her. “Jasper, you said you trust me, right?” The orange gem nodded, her eyes still closed. “Then relax,” Amethyst said gently. 

Amethyst leaned forward and began to suck softly on Jasper’s nipple eliciting a soft moan. Amethyst continued until she saw Jasper relax slightly before moving on to the other one. She kissed gently down her mate’s ribs, avoiding her bruises until she reached Jasper’s hip. The orange gem flinched as Amethyst ran her hands down Jasper’s thighs. “Just relax. I’m most certainly not going to do more damage than I did at the arena.” Jasper consciously relaxed her lower body as Amethyst pushed her legs apart gently. After kissing up the inside of each of Jasper’s thighs, Amethyst focused her attention on her mate’s clit. She began to lick with wide, soft strokes, hoping her mate would try to lie back and enjoy herself. With her eyes closed, it seemed Jasper was having an easier time lying passively and letting her mate control the scene. Amethyst continued licking Jasper’s clit, applying alternating heavy and light pressure consistently at a very slow pace. After a while, Amethyst could tell her mate was close. She focused her attention as Jasper came, her whole body tensing and then relaxing. 

Amethyst kissed up Jasper’s ribs before her lips reached her mate’s. She gave her one last, long kiss before she laid down next to her. “You can open your eyes if you want, but you don’t have to.” Jasper kept her eyes closed, tilting her head towards her mate. After a few minutes, Amethyst kissed Jasper’s cheek and pulled the blanket over them. 

“What … what was that?” Jasper asked softly. 

Amethyst rolled her eyes, not that Jasper could see her. “That was how good it can feel to give yourself over to your mate. THAT was how you refocus without having to fight anyone. That … that was me loving you even though you’re impossible.” Amethyst kissed the side of Jasper’s head. “Sleep love, you’re pretty drained.” Jasper was almost asleep already, but she managed to whisper ‘I love you’ before she was completely out. 

 

Jasper woke slowly, feeling sore and still tired. She remembered the previous night and rolled over to face Amethyst. The purple gem wasn’t awake yet and Jasper didn’t want to wake her. Instead, Jasper decided to cuddle closer to her mate and try to fall back asleep. As Jasper leaned towards Amethyst, the purple gem reached out to wrap her arms around her. Jasper closed her eyes and tried to focus on the moment she was in. She felt like things were right, like that moment was a moment she could live in for a long time. Sleepily, she spoke to Amethyst. “I’m sorry for last night Am. I’m sorry for all of it, before, during, and after the fight. I do trust you. I could happily give myself you to anytime.” Jasper fell back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up next ... 
> 
> Remember how I said Amethyst and Jasper both had some opinions on if they should or shouldn't have another litter of gemlings? ...


	27. Chapter 27

Amethyst came back from supervising breakfast and saw a letter sitting on Jasper’s bed. 

_Amethyst, I’m incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful gem for a mate. You always make things better and daily I wonder if I would be able to make it through without you. I love you. Meet me at the top of the cliff around noon? Always yours, Jasper_

Amethyst laughed to herself. She wondered what Jasper was up to but figured she would find out soon enough. At noon she headed up the cliff, admiring how nice it was outside. As she walked up, she could see some of the gemlings playing on the beach below. Amethyst was happy to see they were still getting along. She had worried that at some point they would grow apart and maybe even grow to dislike each other, but so far they were all very happy to have each other. As Amethyst reached the top of the cliff, she saw Jasper leaning against one of the cherry trees. Amethyst thought she looked pensive and for a moment worried something was wrong. But once Jasper saw Amethyst her expression changed. 

Jasper smiled and reached for Amethyst’s hand. “Hi babe.” She kissed her mate before leading her towards a shaded patch of ground. 

“So,” Amethyst started. “What’s this all about Jasper?” The purple gem looked at her mate suspiciously. Jasper bit at her lip the way she did when she was nervous. 

“Why do you always have to ask so many questions and be so suspicious? Just sit down.”

Amethyst shook her head. “I’d be less suspicious if you weren’t acting so nervous.” She gave her mate a directed look, but sat down as requested. 

Jasper sat next to Amethyst, leaning against a tree and wrapping her arm around her mate’s waist. “Can we talk?” Jasper pulled Amethyst a little closer as she looked towards her. 

“Of course. What’s on your mind?” Once again Amethyst was worried. She looked towards Jasper and saw she was pulling at her own hair. 

“Jasp,” Amethyst said softly, reaching over and touching her hand gently. “Is something wrong? You’re acting strange and anxious.” 

Jasper stopped pulling at her hair, nodding. “I just have something important I want to tell you. Nothing is wrong, I promise.” 

Amethyst smiled at her mate. “So tell me.” 

Jasper ran her fingers over Amethyst’s ribs. “I …” she took a deep breath. “I love you. And really, I knew we were supposed to be mated as soon as you told me you forgave me. There isn’t anyone else I would want and I don’t think anyone else could be half as wonderful as you are. You know how wonderful I think you are, but I’m not always a perfect mate. Sometimes I pull away from you when you need me, sometimes I want to forget about stuff you need to talk about, sometimes I don’t see the things you need from me. But I hope you know that I never forget that I adore you, that everything I have here on Earth, I have because of you. So, today I wanted to make the day about you.” Jasper smiled at her mate. “So, first, our daughters wanted to tell you what a great parent you are.” Amethyst looked up and saw Jay, Jewel, and Lake. The three gemlings came to sit with them, giggling more than normal. Storm, Laz, and Sky appeared shortly after, also giggling. 

Sky plopped herself into Amethyst’s lap while Lake put herself in Jasper’s. Storm squished herself between her parents while Laz, Jay, and Jewel sat in front of them. They were all giggly and chatty. “Hi guys,” Amethyst said with a smile. “What are you doing up here?” 

Laz was the first to speak up. “Momma said she wanted to plan a surprise for you and we wanted to help.” 

Amethyst looked at Laz. “Is that so?” 

Jewel spoke up next. “So we decided to each tell you what we thought you were the best at!” 

“Because Momma said she was doing this for you because you are the best,” Jay said softly. 

Lake pulled something from her pocket. “We made a list.” She leaned over and gave it to Sky who opened it and started to read. 

“Jewel says you’re the best at giving hugs. Storm says you’re the best at playing sea monster and crushing the sand castles. Laz says you’re the best at making us feel like we’re gonna be great gems. Lake says you’re the best at making breakfast, especially eggs. Jay says you’re the best at explaining why battle strategy matter. And I think you’re the best at cheering us up. And we all think your’e the best at being Mamma.” 

Amethyst smiled at the gemlings. “That was incredibly sweet. Thank you guys!” 

The gemlings were content to sit with Jasper and Amethyst for a little while longer and they took advantage of that. After a few minutes, they started asking questions. “Momma, what do you think mamma is best at?” Lake asked.

Jasper smiled, “Well, she is great at so many things. But I will have to say she is best at being my mate.” 

Jay shook her head. “You can’t use that one! Of course she is best at being your mate. You don’t get to be someone’s mate unless you’re best at it!!” 

Amethyst laughed. “Jay does have a point, Jasper.” 

“Okay, okay, I’ll come up with something else.” Jasper thought for a moment. “Amethyst is best at knowing how to fix things I think can’t be fixed.” Jasper smiled at her mate. “How was that one?” The gemlings nodded their approval. 

“Mamma? What’s your favorite memory?” Storm asked. 

Amethyst thought for a moment. “I’m not sure hun, I’ve lived a long time. There are a lot of them. I have some pretty great ones from when you were born. What about you guys/ What are some of your favorite memories?” 

“When Momma showed me how to jump super high!” Storm said. 

“When Ruby and Mamma spared at training practice,” Jewel replied. 

“When I got big enough to use my wings.” Lake said softly. 

“When you and Momma told us bedtime stories,” Jay said. 

They sat together for a while longer before the gemlings got restless. “Okay guys, it was really nice to have you all together to talk. You can go off and play if you want,” Jasper said. 

“Thank you! I really love the list you made for me.” Amethyst carefully folded the paper and placed it in her pocket. Most of the gemlings ran down towards the beach, but Sky and Lake remained sitting in their parents’ laps. Sky had started playing with Amethyst’s hair while Lake had leaned against Jasper and was content just listening to her mother breath. 

“What’s it like,” Sky said softly, “to be mated? What’s it like to be in love?” Jasper and Amethyst looked at each other a little surprised by the question. Jasper smiled and moved closed to Amethyst, closing the gap Storm had made when she squeezed between the two of them. 

“That’s a hard question Sky,” Jasper said. “And I would imagine it’s different for everyone. But I guess for me, being mated is going through your day always knowing that you have someone who had your back. Feeling like whatever happens, you’re in this together and she will be by your side.” 

Amethyst looked at her daughter and smiled. “For me it’s like going through the day knowing you’re complete and looking forward to feeling that again. I can go out on a mission or walk on the beach or anything and I know when I get back, I have Jasper and everything will be good.” 

“The best part is,” Jasper said. “Knowing that even when Amethyst is really, really, angry with me, she will still hug me and tell me that she loves me. It’s really nice to know that she loves me so much that even being angry can’t make her forget that.” Amethyst rested her head on Jasper’s shoulder. 

Lake looked up at Jasper. “Mamma loves you a lot.”

Amethyst laughed, “Yes, I do.” 

Lake spoke again, very softly this time. “You’re lucky, Momma.” 

Jasper looked towards Amethyst. “Yes baby, I am very lucky.” 

After a bit, Lake looked up at Jasper again. “Will you tell us what it was like when we were born?” 

Jasper ran her hand through her daughter’s hair. “What do you want to know?” 

Lake thought for a moment. “Was it hard? The book makes it sound kinda hard, carrying gemlings.” 

Jasper looked out towards the trees. “Yes, it was hard. But having Amethyst made it a lot better.” She sighed thinking about it. “Having little gems inside you developing and trying to grow can make you feel a little sick. But I was lucky to have Amethyst who would do things to make me feel better.” 

Sky looked up at Amethyst, “What’d you do?” 

“Whatever I could to help Momma feel better. I would bring her tea to drink because it helps your stomach feel better. Or I would rub her back or sit with her, whatever might help.” 

“Carrying gemlings also makes you very tired. There was a lot that needed to be done that I was too tired to do. Amethyst set up the basket you slept in for the first few weeks. She got all the things we needed to clean and wrap you. She did everything that needed to be done. Then came the day you guys were born.” Jasper gave a half smile to Lake, partially lost in thought.

“Tell us about that Momma,” the little one asked. 

“I don’t remember much of it sweetheart, I’m sorry.” Jasper looked out towards the trees again as Amethyst put her arm around her mate. 

“Momma was amazing, but it was exhausting for her. It’s hard to remember things that happen when you’re so tired.” The gemlings nodded. “As each of you were born, we cleaned you and wrapped you up before putting you in your basket to sleep. Eventually all six of you were wrapped up in your basked sleeping and Momma was sleeping too.” 

Jasper smiled at Amethyst. “It was so important to have Amethyst with me. I couldn’t think about much of anything. But Amethyst thought of everything, your basket, cleaning you, making sure I was okay, making sure you were okay … Amethyst did all of that.” 

“What Momma is saying is that it is important for any gem carrying a litter to have help. It’s hard to do alone. They have an important job, they’re making sure a litter of gemlings are growing into healthy little ones and then they are safely bringing them into the world. Momma had a very important job and she was amazing at it. I’m so proud of what a great job she did. But there are some other things that needed to be done too, and those are the things I helped with. Momma did a lot more work than I did, but we did it together. And we have 6 beautiful daughters who are all growing into gems who makes us very proud.” Amethyst gave Sky a kiss as the gemling cuddled closer to her. 

“Momma?” Lake said looking up at Jasper. The orange gem couldn’t prevent the tear that rolled down her cheek. Amethyst pulled Jasper closer and kissed her cheek gently. 

“I’m really lucky to have Amethyst,” Jasper said, speaking to Lake.

Amethyst smiled at the gemlings. “You don’t even remember being that little do you? Do you remember sleeping in your basket?” The gemlings giggled. 

“I remember the basket!” Sky said proudly.

“Oh you do?” Amethyst asked. “What do you remember?” 

“It was itchy and hot.” Amethyst laughed as Sky made a very serious face. “Our basket, it made me itchy and hot. I didn’t like it, so I would try to get out.” Jasper and Amethyst looked at each other. “I tried to get out and sleep someplace else!” Amethyst began to laugh. “What’s so funny?” Sky asked looking confused. 

“You did leave the basket, a lot actually. I didn’t think you remember that. You were so small.”

“I don’t,” Sky said. “I just remember being in the basket curled up feeling too hot, then not being in the basket and feeling better.” 

Jasper grinned. “You would climb out of your basket over the edge. Luckily, either we caught you or we left the basket on the bed so you had something soft to land on. Once you made it out, you would crawl over to Amethyst and chirp at her until she picked you up.” 

Amethyst ran her finger across Sky’s cheek. “I would run my finger over your tiny gem and whisper to you that you needed to sleep. You would then curl up in my lap or my arms and sleep there.” 

Sky’s face turned deep blue. “You were warm, but not too hot. And you smelled good, comforting.” 

Amethyst turned her attention to the gemling in Jasper’s lap. “And you my little Lake, you were curled up in the basket with Jewel. Always next to her, you two were inseparable since you were born. You could always find each other, even before you opened your eyes.” The gemlings smiled at their parents.

After a while, Amethyst could tell Sky was getting restless. “You two should go off and play. It’s a beautiful day, don’t waste all the sunlight!” They kissed and hugged their parents before running off down the cliff side. Jasper sat contently with Amethyst, deep in thought. “What’s on your mind?” Amethyst gently asked Jasper. When she didn’t reply, Amethyst didn’t push. They sat in silence for a bit before Jasper decided to speak. 

“I remember more of their birth than that,” she said very softly. Amethyst wrapped her arm around Jasper once again and pulled her close. “It hurt so much, Am. And you were the only thing that made it better. You would turn away from me to clean and warp one of the gemlings and the pain would get so bad. But I knew I just had to wait until you were done. When you finished, you’d put your hands against my back and I’d put my head on your shoulder. You gave me a break from the pain before the next contraction started up.” 

Amethyst trailed her hand down Jasper’s back. “Why didn’t you tell me? You always said you were doing okay. I would have …” Jasper cut her off. 

“There wasn’t anything you could have done babe. You were perfect. I knew you had to clean the little ones, so I just had to wait until you were done, and I did. It hurt, but you had to take care of the gemlings too. When you were done, you always turned your focus back to me. You would hold me up and tell me what a great job I was doing. You were incredibly reassuring and comforting. I knew I only had to worry about getting through the pain and you would take care of everything else.” Jasper was quiet for a while, staring off at the trees. Amethyst rested her head on her mate’s should and waited for the orange gem to want to talk some more. 

They were silent for a long while. Amethyst was content to just sit with Jasper, but she knew her mate was deep in thought. Finally, Jasper decided she wanted to say something. “Am?” 

Amethyst turned to look at Jasper. “Yeah love?” She replied. Jasper reached over and laced her fingers through her mate’s. She paused, unsure of how to say what she was thinking. Amethyst leaned over and kissed Jasper. The orange gem blinked slowly, getting pulled back into her thoughts unsure how to vocalize them. 

“Jasper,” Amethyst said gently. The orange gem focused her attention on her mate. “Are you thinking about having another litter?” Jasper’s eyes widened slightly as she slowly nodded in agreement. “How long have you been thinking about it? I mean, seriously thinking about it?” 

Jasper bit her bottom lip. “maybe a week or two? I wanted to talk to you about it today. But … remembering how sick I was, how tired I was for so long, and how painful it all was, I’m not sure.”

Amethyst squeezed Jasper’s hand gently. “Let’s see how long this stays on your mind and we’ll talk about it next week if you’re still thinking about it. Okay?” Jasper nodded as she leaned back against the tree. “Jasper,” Amethyst said gently. “Why were you crying earlier?” Amethyst could feel the orange gem tense. She slid away from Jasper so she could put her head in her mate’s lap. Amethyst looked up at Jasper as she brushed Amethyst’s hair out of her face. 

“Because I was thinking about the first few weeks, before I told you. I was … scared. I can’t imagine what it would have been like to go through the whole process like that, if you hadn’t stayed with me after you found out.” 

Amethyst squeezed her hand. “I know you were scared. I can only imagine how scared. But you would have made it through without me. You’re a quartz, you would have found a way. But I’m glad you didn’t have to.” 

Amethyst fell asleep, her head in Jasper’s lap while the orange gem played with her hair. It was starting to get dark when she finally woke up. “How long did you let me sleep?” Amethyst asked.

Jasper shrugged. “I dunno. I was enjoying just sitting with you. Did you have something to do?” 

Amethyst sat up and leaned in to kiss Jasper. “Just this,” Amethyst said. 

When Amethyst pulled away, Jasper smiled. “Let’s talk about it now.” 

Amethyst frowned in confusion. “Talk about what?” 

Jasper took a deep breath. “Having another litter.” Amethyst was surprised Jasper wanted to bring it up again, but she had always known her mate would want another one. 

“Okay,” Amethyst said, turning so she could face Jasper.

“I think it would be nice,” Jasper said quietly. “You know, to have my mate sire one of my litters. And a second litter is usually smaller. I was thinking maybe they could have your room. And we could make my room, our room.”

Amethyst thought for a moment. “The litter would have to be smaller, they would all be quartz. Even you couldn’t carry six.” Amethyst’s voice got quiet. “Love, we don’t even know if I can sire a litter for you.” 

“That doesn’t mean we couldn’t try,” Jasper replied.

After a moment, Amethyst nodded. “We should talk about it with the others.” 

Jasper leaned over and cupped Amethyst’s face in her hand. “I don’t want to talk about it with the others right now, Am. I’m talking about it with you. Don’t do this. Don’t make this one of those things that gets decided by default or majority while you sit passively. I brought it up because I want to know your opinion. Because I want to talk to my mate about having a litter … together.” 

Amethyst looked at the ground. “Jasper, what makes you think I can make this kind of decision? I … I’m just … Jasper, I’m a runt from a kindergarten! Who knows if I can even sire. And what makes me qualified to make ANY decisions on mating or bringing gems into the world?” 

Jasper looked at her mate and could tell she was scared. She wasn’t sure how to fix it, she wasn’t the one who fixed things like this, that was Amethyst’s job. She reached over and took Amethyst’s hand, pulling her mate into her lap. She wrapped her arms around Amethyst’s waist and kissed her. The purple gem pulled away and stared at Jasper, speechless. “I love you,” Jasper said softly. “The rest doesn’t matter, just kiss me.” Amethyst returned Jasper’s kiss and slowly calmed down. She curled up against Jasper’s chest and tried to match her breathing with her mate’s. After a while, Jasper ran her hand through Amethyst’s hair. “I still don’t know how you do that all the time.”

Amethyst opened one eye to look up towards Jasper. “Do what?” 

Jasper smiled, untangling a knot in Amethyst’s mess of silver hair. “Talk me down. Whenever I’m about to lose it, you can always get through to me, get me to calm down. I wish I was better at it for you. I mean, not that you lose it often. But when you’re having a hard time, I wish I was better at comforting you.” 

Amethyst laughed. “We just need different things. You need me to talk to you, so I do. I need you to do exactly what you do, kiss me, hold my hand, hug me.” Amethyst’s face darkened. “I just need you to physically ground me somehow. And you’re amazing at it.” 

Jasper took a deep breath. “This doesn’t get you out of having that conversation.” 

Amethyst closed her eyes, “I know.” 

Jasper continued running her fingers through Amethyst’s hair. “I don’t see you as a kindergarten runt, Am. You’re a gem. And mated gems talk about bringing new litters of gems into the world. I’m just looking to see how my mate feels about having a litter. She didn’t get much say in the last litter and that wasn’t fair. But I couldn’t do much about it. This time is different. This time, she deserves to have her thoughts on the situation heard and considered.” 

Amethyst turned slightly to rest her forehead on Jasper’s chest. “I feel really selfish. And I wonder if more gems should even be brought into the world. I wonder if any gem with me as a sire could possibly turn out for the better. I worry that I’m so tainted, that I’m so inherently bad that any litter I sire will be bad too. I think about if it’s fair to have the others help raise our gemlings, even though they do it by choice. And I think about Pearl and Lapis and how timid they are, how nervous they are about having a litter. I wonder if they would feel like they couldn’t if we were." Amethyst sat up and looked into Jasper’s eyes. “But deep down … I would give anything in the world to sire a litter with you. It would be one of the greatest dreams come true.”


	28. Chapter 28

Amethyst kissed Jasper’s shoulder, holding her close and pressing her fingers into the orange gem’s lower back. “You’re doing great love, just a little longer,” Amethyst whispered. Jasper whimpered audibly, not fighting the tears rolling down her cheek. 

“It hurts a lot, Am,” Jasper said through clenched teeth. 

“I know baby, it’s almost over.” Amethyst continued to rub Jasper’s back. “I’m right here. Just focus Jasper, I need you to focus.” Jasper growled, teeth still clenched. She tightened her grip on Amethyst’s hand. “There, that’s it babe.” Finally, Jasper let out a sigh. Amethyst ran her hand gently over Jasper’s stomach. “It’s over, relax babe.” Jasper loosened her grip on her mate’s hand and Amethyst could feel the rest of her muscles relax slightly as the orange gem tried to slow her breathing. “Try to sleep,” Amethyst said, slowly rubbing Jasper’s abdomen.

The orange gem closed her eyes. “Please stay, Am … please?” 

Amethyst rested her hand at the bottom of Jasper’s slightly swelling belly. “Shhh, I’m not going anywhere. I promise. I’ll be right here when you wake up, just rest.” 

 

Jasper startled awake and immediately reached behind her for Amethyst. “What’s wrong?” Amethyst said gently, reaching out for her mate’s hand. 

Jasper closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Nothing. I’m okay.” 

Amethyst leaned over and kissed Jasper’s cheek. “Don’t lie to me, what’s wrong?” 

Jasper sighed softly. “I was scared you had left. Something woke me and I was scared you weren’t here.” 

Amethyst arranged the pillows on the bed to allow her mate to sit up comfortably. “Jasper, talk to me,” Amethyst said softly. “You’ve been acting really strange since you started carrying. And not the kind of strange I’d expect. You’ve been clingy and scared, you’ve been worrying about something. What’s going on?” 

Jasper looked at her mate and sighed again. “I am scared, Am.” Amethyst moved closer to her and reached out for her hand. “It’s different this time. They feel … heavier. I’m more tired, I’m in more pain. I’m just … exhausted.” 

Amethyst leaned over and pressed her forehead to her mate’s. “Listen to me, okay babe? I’m right here with you and I promise I will be by your side through the whole thing.” She gently ran her hand through her mate’s hair. “I think the gemlings are bigger this time. If they're bigger than the last litter, you’d be more tired, feel more pain, have less energy. Can you try to eat just a little more? Now that you’re not nauseous you should be able to keep more down, right?” Jasper nodded slowly. “You’re doing great. I’m super proud of you love.” Amethyst kissed her mate. “I know you’re scared, but I’m right here. Just tell me what would make you feel better and I’ll do it. Anything, I promise.” 

Jasper bit her lip as she spoke softly, “Talk to Garnet?” 

Amethyst looked slightly surprised but agreed. “Sure babe. We can go talk to her now if you’re up to it.” 

 

The three gems sat on the beach together. Amethyst sat on a rock with Jasper sitting in the sand in front of her. The orange gem didn’t look very different, her stomach had only begun to swell slightly, but it was still more than it had for her first litter by this time. Amethyst absentmindedly ran her fingers through Jasper’s hair, trying to calm the orange gem. “So G, how does it look?” 

Garnet adjusted her sunglasses. “First, I want to say that I can only give you possibilities. But it seems like things work out in the end. The gemlings are okay, Jasper is okay.” Amethyst could hear Jasper sigh. “But it’s going to be hard. The next 10 weeks are going to be tough.” 

Jasper looked pensive. “Garnet? Will you do me a favor? Will you be there when they're born?” Amethyst was surprised, but ran her hand over Jasper’s arm in a gesture of support. “It was hard the first time, when Amethyst was taking care of the gemlings. I don’t know if I can do that again. I need Am. Would you be there to take care of the little ones?” 

Garnet put her hand on Jasper’s leg. “Of course. Don’t worry Jasper, you’re in good hands.” Garnet glanced at Amethyst. “Your mate will always take good care of you.” Garnet stood and headed back towards the beach house. 

Amethyst stood in front of Jasper to help her get up. “I’m sorry babe,” Jasper said as she stood. 

Amethyst looked into Jasper’s eyes. “Love, what are you apologizing for?” 

Jasper looked away as she began to speak. “I’m sorry for not running that by you. You know, before I asked Garnet to be there when the gemlings are born. I … I really wanted it to just be us. I want to share this moment with you, only you. But, I don’t think I can do it this time. I don’t think I can get through it without you. Even for the short time it takes to take care of the gemlings. 

Amethyst pulled Jasper close. “I understand. I want whatever will make you comfortable. Whatever helps you feel better.” 

\---

Jasper and Amethyst sat in the living room while the gemlings and Steven made breakfast. Amethyst insisted that Jasper start eating more, hoping it would help with how weak she was feeling. The gemlings were very excited to get to make breakfast for Momma and were going all out. “Are you sure I’m going to be able to eat this stuff?” Jasper asked Amethyst. 

“Yes babe, I promise. The kids are only allowed to make edible food and they have actually become quite the little chefs. And if you don’t like it, I will eat it and make you something else.” Jasper smiled at her mate.

“Food’s ready!” Steven called. He let Lake and Jay bring Jasper her plate. They had made waffles, eggs, fruit salad, and popcorn, Jay’s favorite. Jasper let out a sigh of relief, at least she could identify everything on the plate. 

“You guys did a great job,” Jasper said before she started to poke at the food with her fork. The gemlings scrambled to get plates of their own. 

Steven looked up at Amethyst. “Aren’t you going to eat?” 

The purple gem shook her head, “Nah, not hungry, but thanks for offering.” 

Jasper ate her food slowly, managing to finish everything but the waffles. Amethyst wasn’t expecting her mate to eat them, she had never liked waffles. She put them on a new plate, wrapped them, and placed them in the fridge before putting the dirty plate in the sink. She walked with Jasper back to her room mostly in silence. As Jasper sat on the bed, she looked slightly off. “You okay?” Amethyst asked softly as she leaned over to look at her mate.

“Yea, fine,” Jasper replied unconvincingly. 

“Why are you lying to me, Jasper?” Amethyst said. She was beginning to feel incredibly frustrated with how Jasper was behaving. 

“Because I don’t want to worry you. I’m worried enough for both of us,” Jasper said quietly. Amethyst sat down next to Jasper and reached out for her mate’s hand.

“Jasper, I love you. I love you and you know that. I really need you to let me in. You did this last time, but for different reasons, remember? You’re allowed to have secrets, you’re allowed to have thoughts you don’t share with me, but don’t keep things from me when you know I should know them. Talking to me isn’t going to make me worry more. I’m already worried about you. But I can’t help if I don’t know what’s going on.” 

“Okay.” Jasper laid back on the bed, reaching over to grab a pillow she then held tightly against herself. Amethyst sprawled out onto the bed behind her mate, placing the blanket over them and pulling Jasper towards her chest. Jasper took a deep breath. “This feels better.” 

“What do you mean?” Amethyst asked after kissing her mate’s shoulder. 

“I dunno,” Jasper replied with her eyes closed. “I just like how this feels. It’s better.” 

Amethyst nodded. “Okay, we can stay just like this then.” Amethyst lifted her head to look at her mate and saw the tears slowly sliding down Jasper’s cheeks. “Jasper, please talk to me. What’s on your mind?” 

After a while, Jasper spoke. “I’m really scared, Amethyst.” Amethyst could feel Jasper shift slightly against her. “Something doesn’t feel right and I’m scared.” 

She pulled Jasper closer. “Let’s talk about it. I think it will help.” She paused, “What feels different? And how?” 

Jasper’s body tensed against Amethyst’s. “They feel heavier,” Jasper said. “Denser. I mean, they’re bigger certainly. But they feel denser too. They also don’t move around as much as the last litter did. But that could be because they don’t have as much space.” Jasper took another deep breath. “The pain is different too. Last time, it was pressure. When they moved or shifted it was pain caused by pressure. This time, it’s sharp pain. Along with feeling exhausted.” 

Amethyst gently rubbed her mate’s stomach. “How do you feel right now, right this second?” 

Jasper paused to think about it. “Good. Right now, I feel good.”

Amethyst gave Jasper a soft squeeze. “Why?” 

Without pausing this time Jasper replied, “Because you’re here.” 

The purple gem kissed her mate’s shoulder again and smiled. “Maybe that’s what it is then. Maybe I just need to be around more. I did sire these ones, maybe it could help.” 

Jasper nodded slightly, “Maybe.” 

“And, last time there was a lot more sex than there has been this time,” Amethyst said with a smile. “Maybe that would help you feel a little better.” 

“It isn’t that I want it less, every position we’ve tried just hurts,” Jasper said sounding slightly whiny. 

Amethyst shifted so Jasper’s head was against her shoulder. She gently pulled her arm from Jasper’s grip and ran her fingers through her mate’s hair. “I know love. But we can try something different. We can figure out what works.” She kissed her mate’s neck as she returned her hand to Jasper’s abdomen. Amethyst could feel Jasper relax slightly. “We’ll get through this. It will be okay.” 

Jasper nodded timidly. “Okay, I trust you, Am.” 

Amethyst ran her fingers over Jasper gently. “You’re such an amazing mate. Incredibly smart, beautiful, loving, I’m so lucky.” 

Jasper smiled. “I love you.” Amethyst smiled back, kissing her mate’s neck before softly nipping at her shoulder. Jasper giggled in return, encouraging Amethyst to bite harder. “Am!!” Jasper whined. 

Amethyst stopped the assault and looked at her mate. “What?” she said as she laughed. Jasper giggled again, this time slightly tilting her head to let her mate continue. Jasper couldn’t deny the attention from her mate felt good, especially since all she had experienced for the last few days was pain. She was pulled from her thoughts when she noticed her entire body felt too warm and her core began to ache. She focused for a moment, phasing away her clothing as her mate followed. Jasper sighed audibly at the feeling of Amethyst’s warm body against hers. It was a really good feeling, she thought. 

There was another moment or two of teasing before Jasper began to whine. Amethyst laughed at her mate’s impatience and kissed her neck softly. “Demanding aren’t we?” 

Jasper closed her eyes, “No, desperate.” 

The purple gem laughed as she ran her fingers down Jasper’s body. Slowly, she let them graze over Jasper’s abdomen before they stopped between her thighs. She repositioned her mate’s legs gently. “Still feeling okay?” 

Jasper nodded. “This doesn’t hurt, yet …” A brief look of anxiety crossed her face before Amethyst ran her hand down her leg.

“It’s gonna be fine.” Jasper nodded and leaned back into Amethyst’s arms.

Amethyst could see just how desperate her mate was. It reminded her of when Jasper had gone into heat. The orange gem had enjoyed the long drawn out interactions, basking in the opportunity to finally feel her mate’s touch. Amethyst slowly slid her fingers into her mate’s core, watching as Jasper closed her eyes and sighed. Amethyst pressed her fingers into her mate’s overly sensitive body and slide them back out at a maddeningly slow pace. Jasper moaned loudly, letting her back arch as she tipped her hips forward looking for more stimulation. “Relax,” Amethyst whispered softly. “I’m not going anywhere.” 

“Promise?” Jasper replied turning her head to see Amethyst better. The purple gem smiled before kissing her mate’s neck. She continued her incredibly slow pace and Jasper moaned softly. The orange gem was enjoying the attention, trying to hold on to each moment of release she received. Eventually, Amethyst could hear Jasper slowly panting, she was reaching her limit. 

Jasper closed her eyes and focused on every feeling she could, her mate’s body pressed against her back, Amethyst’s fingers sliding in and out of her core, the feeling of Amethyst’s lips on her shoulder. Everything felt perfectly overwhelming as she was reaching her breaking point. Slowly, Jasper inched her hand down towards her clit and let her fingers graze over the swollen flesh. Her cold fingers sent a sharp charge through her body that lessened slightly as her hand warmed. The contact added to the overwhelming feelings of Amethyst pressing into her core in a way that the orange gem wasn’t expecting. Faster than she would have liked, a low moan left her throat. Jasper arched her back as she came harder than she had in a while. When her body was finally exhausted, Jasper rested her hand on Amethyst’s, asking the purple gem to stop. 

Jasper lay in Amethyst’s arms panting audibly, eyes closed. For a few moments, she felt nothing but bliss, her body softly pulsing in the afterglow of her orgasm. When she came down from that, Jasper could feel Amethyst’s arms wrapped firmly around her body. It felt good to be surrounded by her mate, to be squarely in her arms and feeling safe. Slowly, Jasper opened her eyes and looked towards Amethyst. The purple gem smiled softly and Jasper suppressed a laugh. After a few minutes, Jasper spoke, looking slightly embarrassed. “That felt really good.” 

Amethyst laughed, not sure how to receive her statement. “You sounded like you were enjoying yourself,” Amethyst teased. Jasper growled back at her in a playful tone. “Is that a request for more?” Amethyst continued to tease. 

“Hey! Play nice. I’m carrying your gemlings.” 

Amethyst stopped teasing her mate and pulled her close, kissing her softly at the base of her neck. “I know you are baby. And that’s more amazing than anything I can think of.” As Amethyst looked into Jasper’s eyes, she could tell the orange gem was tired. Her eyelids were heavy and her grey eyes looked unfocused and cloudy. “Sleep love, you must be tired.” Jasper nodded and rolled over to face Amethyst. She rested her head on her mate’s shoulder and kissed her collarbone. “How do you feel?” Amethyst asked quietly.

The orange gem placed her arm on her mate’s waist and pulled her closer. “Safe. Safe and happy,” Jasper whispered as she drifted off to sleep. Amethyst gently rubbed her mate’s back as she fell asleep in her arms.


	29. Chapter 29

“Are you … okay?” Steven asked. Jasper was pacing the living room, reminding Steven of a cornered animal. Jasper didn’t hear Steven the first time he asked, looking up startled as the boy asked again. 

“Huh? Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry Steven, I’m fine.” Jasper sat for a moment, thinking about what Steven had asked her. _I’m fine, right?_ She asked herself. Finally, the warp pad activated and Lapis and Amethyst appeared. Jasper stopped herself from jumping up at the sight of Amethyst. The purple gem pushed her hair out of her face as she laughed at something Lapis said. 

“Hey,” She called to Jasper with a smile. “What cha up to?” Jasper smiled back at her mate, but didn’t say anything. She was slightly embarrassed to tell Amethyst the truth in front of Lapis. To say that she was pacing the living room waiting for Amethyst to get home just sounded too … desperate. 

“How was your mission?” Jasper asked looking at Lapis.

The water gem smiled back warmly. “Great! I got to do some water manipulation and Amethyst got to fight … What was it you fought?” 

Amethyst shrugged. “I dunno. Some corrupted gem. It’s bubbled and back in the temple so no worries.” 

Steven bounced energetically. “That sounds so cool! When is Garnet going to let me go back on missions?”

Amethyst ruffled Steven’s hair. “Soon little man. But, I appreciate you keeping Jasper company while I was gone.” Amethyst winked at the boy and flashed a smile to her mate. 

Lapis giggled to herself. “Hey Steven, have you seen Pearl?”

Steven looked up at the blue gem. “She’s off with Garnet. They said they’d be back in an hour or two.” 

“Oh okay.” Lapis nodded. “Want to take a trip to the Big Donut?” The boy’s face lit up as he walked out of the beach house with Lapis. 

Amethyst took a seat next to Jasper on the couch. “You’ve been quiet,” she said. 

Jasper shrugged. “Not much to say? I dunno.” 

Amethyst smiled. “Let’s take a walk.” She took Jasper’s hand and led her out to the beach. As the two walked, Amethyst looked out into the water. Jasper was still uncharacteristically quiet. They reached the part of the beach with a setback section of grass and Amethyst led them towards it. She helped her mate sit and after, sat behind her. Jasper leaned back into Amethyst, eyes closed. She was realizing how tired she was feeling at the moment. Amethyst ran her hand over her mate’s stomach. She suspected the litter wasn’t going to be smaller than the last. While Jasper was sure there were fewer gemlings, it was clear they were much bigger than her first litter. Amethyst kissed Jasper’s cheek. “How are you feeling?”

Jasper sighed. “I dunno. Okay, I guess.” Suddenly Jasper grabbed Amethyst’s hand. She placed it towards the side of her abdomen and waited. “Feel that?” 

Amethyst smiled. “Have they been moving around like that all day?” 

“No,” Jasper smiled back. “Only since you’ve been back.” Amethyst knew Jasper’s mood was dramatically influenced by her presence, and it was clear the gemlings could pick up on that. The purple gem moved her hands to her mate’s shoulders and gently kneaded her muscles. 

Jasper winced. “That hurts, but … don’t stop, just … try to be gentle?” 

Amethyst let up on the pressure slightly. “Why does that hurt?” 

“I dunno.” Jasper closed her eyes. “My whole body just hurts.” Amethyst decided to change her strategy. Amethyst let her hands slide down her mate’s body, resting them on Jasper’s thigh. She let her fingers graze up and down the inside of Jasper’s leg before brushing two fingers over her core. Jasper moaned softly as Amethyst’s fingers touched her oversensitive clit. Even through her clothing it was an intense feeling. 

“Amethyst,” Jasper said through heavy breaths. “Don’t tease me.” 

Amethyst kissed her mate’s neck softly. “I’m not teasing, just relax.” Amethyst rested her hand at her mate’s core, allowing pressure to her clit. Slowly, she rocked her hand, beginning to build tension in her mate’s body. Jasper tipped her head back, resting it on Amethyst’s shoulder. 

“Ugh, Am, we’re in public,” Jasper tried to complain. 

Amethyst silenced her with a kiss. “No we aren’t, no one can see us. No one comes down this far, and if they do, so what? I’ll see them before they see us.” 

Jasper pressed her hips into Amethyst’s hand. “Oh-kaay,” she said softly, still breathing heavily. 

Amethyst laughed slightly. “Jasper, you’re super tense. I thought you needed to relax a little. And this seemed like a good way to me.” She sped up the movement of her hand and Jasper moaned. “That’s always such a beautiful sound,” Amethyst whispered. 

Jasper tried to focus on the feeling of Amethyst’s fingers. She was having a difficult time relaxing and not just feeling desperate to get off. She tilted her hips again, changing the friction and let out another moan. “Harder, please?” Jasper whined. Amethyst obeyed and heard a contented moan escapes Jasper’s lips. Soon, Jasper was on the edge. She ground her teeth trying to keep herself there for just a short time longer. But finally, she couldn’t and the orange gem came with a long whine, her face in Amethyst’s neck. As Jasper came down from her orgasm, Amethyst softly brushed her hair out of her face. 

“That was awfully fast. Have you been wanting that all day?” 

Jasper bit her lip in her nervous way. “Uhm, sort of? I’ve been feeling sort of desperate for days.” Jasper’s face turned a deep shade of red.

“Do you feel better after?” Amethyst asked looking confused. 

“Yes! I feel so much better. It just comes back after a while.”

Amethyst returned to gently massaging her mate’s shoulders. “Love, if your sex drive was so turned up, why didn’t you say something to me?” 

Jasper wasn’t sure how to answer. “I was embarrassed. And I didn’t want to bother you. I thought I could deal with it myself, but it’s kinda hard to do. And even when I can, it doesn’t really work.” 

Amethyst whispered softly to her mate. “Love, I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me.” Jasper nodded. Amethyst kissed the back of Jasper’s shoulder. “Anything else going on you want to fill me in on?” 

The orange gem sighed, settling back into her mate’s arms. “I think I worried Steven. I was in the living room waiting for you. I wasn’t sure what else to do and I think I was pacing.” 

Amethyst smiled. “That’s okay. I’m sure Steven was just concerned. We’ll let him know you’re okay when we get back.” Jasper nuzzled her head against Amethyst’s neck. “What else is going on baby.” 

Jasper took a deep breath, slowly letting it out before she spoke. “I think … there are four of them Am, but … they’re big.” She paused for a second. “I’m not sure I can do it.” 

Amethyst knew that had been one of her mate’s concerns from the beginning. She wasn’t sure she could birth gemlings as big as what she believed hers to be. But Amethyst believed Jasper was more than capable. It would just require a plan. “I think,” Amethyst started, “That we need to work on a plan. You’re Homeworld’s number one warrior. You have incredible pain tolerance, determination, and focus. I believe you can do this with no problem. You just need a plan.” Amethyst pulled her mate close. “It’s going to be hard baby, and I’m sorry. But I know you can do it. I know you can make it through. It always helps when you’re focused. We just need something that helps you to focus babe.” 

Jasper sighed. “What if I can’t?” 

Amethyst tightened her arms around her mate. “What if you can’t what?” 

“What if I can’t do it?” 

Amethyst kissed her mate’s head. “It won’t come to that … but, if it becomes too much for you, your form will probably give out. You’ll regenerate and come back, and you’ll be fine. The gemlings might survive that or not, I’m not sure … But it won’t come to that baby. You’re strong. Strong enough to deliver some gemlings most definitely. And I will be there to help you any way I can.” She held her mate tightly in her arms hoping she was listening. “I will love you no matter what happens Jasper. But it won’t come to that.” 

\---

Amethyst gave Jasper a quick kiss as she stared at her mate. “No, I’m serious.” Jasper rolled her eyes, but propped her head up with her hand to look at the purple gem. 

“Okay, fine. What?” Amethyst was happy Jasper had woken up in one of her better moods since she started carrying. It was a good time to propose her plan for handling the limited time they had until the gemlings were born. 

“Aww, hear me out, Jasper! It’s a good idea.”

Jasper smiled pulling her mate close to her. “Okay, I’m listening.”

Amethyst ran her finger over Jasper’s gem before brushed a strand of hair out of her face. “Okay.” Amethyst had been looking for a way to lower Jasper’s anxiety. She knew her mate was feeling incredibly anxious about the litter she was carrying. Amethyst thought a lot of how Jasper was feeling was due to internalized anxiety. “I think that if we lower your anxiety, you’ll feel a lot better physically. And if you’re feeling better, you can focus on planning for their birth.” 

Jasper nodded slowly. She understood Amethyst’s idea, but she wasn’t sure there was a way to bring her anxiety down. “How do you plan to do that?” Amethyst leaned forward and kissed her mate deeply. Jasper closed her eyes and slowly exhaled as Amethyst pulled away from her “That?” she said with her eyes only half open. “Because I’m not sure we can spend all our time doing that. But I’m up for the challenge.” 

Amethyst laughed. “No beautiful, I just wanted to kiss you. You’re anxious, at least partially, because you don’t know what’s going to happen and you feel like you can’t control it. So, we’re going to create a schedule so things are more predictable. Then we fill that schedule with things that will help you relax and focus. How does that sound?” 

Jasper rested her head back into the pillows. “Not sure, but I trust you, and Pearl, where I'm sure this idea came from. Keep going.” 

“Hey! A lot of this is my idea! Anyway, we just create a routine that is full of things that reduce your stress.” Amethyst reached out and gently ran her hand over her mate’s stomach. “For example, we should set up times to get up, eat, and sleep. When you were conditioning with Storm, you had a set time to get up, so continuing that seems like a good idea.” 

“Yeah, that sounds reasonable I guess.” Amethyst got up and rummaged through a drawer for a notebook. Once she found it, along with a pen, she flopped back onto the bed. 

“Alright. 6 am we get up, 1:30 am we go to sleep. 2 pm is about when you usually want to take a nap anyway so, let’s add that in too.” Jasper watched as Amethyst created a schedule. “The little ones are done making breakfast around 7:30 am and dinner around 6 pm.” Amethyst filled those in. “Now to add activities that will help you relax. With your ramped up sex drive, two or three times would probably be the best idea.” Amethyst looked over at Jasper and saw her mate’s face turn red. “Easy, when we wake up and before we go to bed.” Amethyst raised her eyebrow as she looked over at Jasper; the orange gem just blushed more. “Finally, we write out when I’ll be with you and when I won’t, because I know wondering when I’ll be back stresses you out a lot.” 

Jasper finally spoke up. “Can I have you from the morning until 2? Then I’ll see you again after dinner?” 

“Sure babe, that sounds fine. I can make sure I spend the morning with you.” Amethyst finished writing out the schedule and showed it to Jasper. “Do you think this will help?” 

Jasper nodded slightly. “Yeah, at least it’s worth a try right? I actually didn’t realize how anxious I’ve been until recently.” 

Amethyst ran her hand through Jasper’s hair. “It’s okay love, everything is going to be fine.”


	30. Chapter 30

Jasper and Amethyst had been following their new schedule for about a week and Jasper was in fact feeling less anxious. She knew where her mate was and when she would be back, and she wasn’t feeling like a needy mess now that they were consistently having sex. It was 2 pm and Jasper was lying in bed staring at the ceiling. She was exhausted, but wasn’t really interested in sleeping for some reason. To her surprised, Amethyst came into the bedroom. “I thought you were off doing something with Jay and Laz?” 

Amethyst curled up in bed next to her mate. “I was going to, but they got into an exciting game of volleyball with their sisters so I let them all play. It’s nice they all still get along.” Amethyst reached over and pulled Jasper towards her, wrapping her arms around her mate. “I thought maybe you might want me here.” 

“Always.” Jasper wiggled closer to Amethyst and sighed. “Can we talk?” she asked softly. 

“Of course we can.” Amethyst said. Jasper took one of Amethyst’s hands and placed it on her belly. 

“They’re pretty low, Am,” Jasper said, still speaking rather softly.

Amethyst kissed her mate’s neck. “Okay, and what are you thinking?” she asked, knowing what her mate was going to say. 

“They’ll be here in a few days, not a few weeks.” 

Amethyst nodded. “Okay. Well, we have everything ready. Are you ready?” Jasper was hesitant to answer. She had indeed been feeling much better since they started functioning on a routine, more competent, more like herself, but that didn’t mean she was ready. Amethyst ran her hand over her mate’s stomach. “You know, if they come in the next week, they’ll be a lot closer to the size the others were when they were born.” That thought hadn’t crossed Jasper’s mind. She slowly got up and walked to the other side of the room. Amethyst watched as her mate phased away her clothing and looked in the mirror. Amethyst was right, Jasper was just slightly bigger than this last time. Amethyst sat up and watched her mate. She could tell exactly what Jasper was thinking. “Yes, they’ll be a little bigger, if there are only four of them, but still not nearly as big as we thought. Definitely a size you can handle.” 

Jasper leaned forward, reaching for the dresser before resting her head down on her arm. Amethyst was immediately up and by her mate’s side. She softly placed her hand on Jasper’s back and waited to see what Jasper needed. After a few seconds, Jasper clenched her jaw, “Damn.”

Amethyst moved to face Jasper. “What?” Jasper shook her head, trying to tell Amethyst not to worry, but she couldn’t get the words out. Amethyst reached out and took Jasper’s hand and the orange gem squeezed it tightly. After a while, Jasper stood up and wrapped her arms around Amethyst’s neck. The purple gem held her mate, allowing her to relax in her arms. “You doing okay?” Amethyst asked softly. 

Jasper was still catching her breath but she tried to speak. “Yeah … fuck … that … that hurt.” Amethyst rubbed Jasper’s back as they stood together. Eventually, Jasper stood up and took a deep breath. “I’m fine. It was just some pain. They moved in a weird way…” Amethyst nodded walking her mate back to the bed. 

Jasper sat on the edge of the bed while Amethyst sat behind her. The purple gem ran her hands over her mate’s back, trying to get her to relax. Amethyst placed her hands on Jasper’s lower back and waited for a moment. She could feel her mate’s muscles flutter underneath her hands. “Jasper, stand up for me?” Amethyst asked. Jasper stood and Amethyst had her turn around to face her. The purple gem placed her hands at the bottom of her mate’s belly and held them there for a bit. “Are you in pain babe?” Amethyst asked. Jasper shook her head. “Do you feel anything?” The orange gem shook her head once again.

“Why do you ask?” 

Amethyst gestured for her mate to sit back down on the bed. “They’ll be here by tomorrow babe. Probably by tonight.” Amethyst couldn’t read Jasper’s face; she hadn’t seen her mate make that expression before.

“Why do you say that?” she asked quietly. 

Amethyst pulled Jasper towards her and down onto the bed. “I can feel your muscles contracting. They're slow and pretty far apart, but I can feel it.”

Jasper pulled Amethyst’s arms around her tightly. “Amethyst, are you sure?” Her eyes were closed as she tried to breath normally. 

“I could feel it last time. While you were sleeping I had my hand on your back. It feels the same.” 

Jasper rolled onto her back and sighed. After a moment, she looked over at Amethyst. “Okay. I’m ready for this.” She smiled slightly at her mate. “I can do this, and I’ve got the most amazing gem by my side. I’m ready.” 

Amethyst laughed and gave her mate a kiss. “Well, since you’re so ready, maybe while we wait, we can do something fun?” Amethyst didn’t wait for an answer, she leaned in and began to lick Jasper’s neck. 

“Ugh! Unfair!” Jasper began to fight her but instead let her body go limp in Amethyst’s arms. Amethyst continued the assault, moving down her mate’s body, stopping to let her tongue run over Jasper’s nipples. Jasper groaned, recognizing just what Amethyst was starting. She pulled her mate’s head towards her own. “Ugh, fuck me, Am” she whispered with a whine. Amethyst looked at her mate skeptically, but Jasper had already reached over to grab a pillow to put under her back. 

Amethyst took a couple more pillows and arranged them under her mate in the center of the bed. She phased away her own clothing as she stared back into her mate’s eyes. “You doing alright?” she asked. In response, Jasper reached down, rubbing her thumb over the head of Amethyst’s cock. Amethyst clenched her teeth and growled. 

“I’m fine,” Jasper replied. Feisty, Amethyst thought to herself, wondering where that came from. The purple gem ran her finger slowly over her mate’s core before pressing herself against Jasper and slowly pushing. Jasper groaned, her eyes rolling slightly back. 

Amethyst knew what her mate wanted, she just wondered if the gemlings would hold off long enough for it. She started off slow, Jasper’s soft whimpering changed to moaning as Amethyst’s pace got slightly faster. Finally, Jasper raked her nails down Amethyst’s legs. “Please Am, come for me!” Amethyst came as Jasper moaned her mate’s name. The purple gem paused to recover for a moment before lying beside her mate. She gently pulled Jasper into her arms and kissed her shoulder. Jasper let out a desperate whimper, reminding Amethyst of the task at hand. She slowly slid her hand between Jasper’s thighs, running her finger over her mate’s clit and holding her tightly as she eventually arched her back, reaching her own orgasm. 

Amethyst held Jasper close while the orange gem tried to breath normally. Amethyst hadn’t expected her mate to be as demanding as she was, but she hoped it helped Jasper to feel more ready for the inevitable birth of her gemlings. Jasper rolled over and pulled Amethyst towards her. She pressed her forehead to her mate’s and sighed. Amethyst smiled and kissed Jasper’s gem, then press her forehead back against hers. After a while, Amethyst spoke. “How are you feeling” 

Jasper’s eyes flickered open slightly before closing again. “I can feel it now. Maybe after the next one, you should get Garnet?” 

Amethyst kissed her mate softly. “Garnet will show up when she needs to be here. She always does. Don’t worry about that, just focus.” Amethyst laced her fingers through Jasper’s and let her mate rest. 

 

About an hour later, Amethyst was helping Jasper off the bed. She had phased her clothing back and Jasper had decided to at least wear a shirt. Once again, she stood over the dresser while Amethyst rubbed her back. There was a short knock at the door and Amethyst called to Garnet to come in. The fusion nodded at Amethyst and went to the bathroom to fill the basin with water to clean the gemlings. Jasper couldn’t look up, but Amethyst assured her it was just Garnet going to get water. Amethyst softly purred into her mate’s ear. “I’ve got you. It’s all under control I promise. All you need to do is focus and push. Garnet and I have everything else handled.” She planted a row of kisses across her mate’s back and neck as Jasper nodded her reply. Garnet sat at the far end of the room, giving the two gems their space and soon Jasper was so focused she didn’t notice Garnet at all. 

Jasper squeezed Amethyst’s hand focusing on her muscle contractions and trying to ignore the pain. When it was finally over, Jasper let out a frustrated growl. “Am, I really can’t do this for much longer.” 

Amethyst slid her hands under Jasper’s shirt and rubbed her thumbs into her mate’s hips. “You’ve got this baby. I know you’re tired, but you can’t push just yet. Try to hold on.” Amethyst could tell another contraction was coming and she moved her hands to steady her mate. Jasper clenched her jaw and whined, leaning into Amethyst for support. Once it was over Amethyst moved Jasper to face her. She whispered softly to her mate, “Move your legs more babe.” Jasper did and Amethyst checked to see how far along she was. Jasper looked up at Amethyst waiting for an answer. “I think you’re ready.” Jasper sighed, relieved.


	31. Chapter 31

Jasper’s eyes were closed tightly and she was growling in a menacing tone. Her hair fanned out around her hanging low in her eyes. Amethyst had tried to pull her mate’s hair back, but she had complained that the hair tie hurt her head. This birth wasn’t easy for Jasper. She was frustrated and tired, but fortunately she only had one gemling left to go. Luckily, Amethyst had all the patience in the world for her mate. She could tell the next contraction was coming. Amethyst forced Jasper’s head upward to look at her. “You’re a fighter Jasper, you’ve got this. One last push, make it count baby.” Jasper had one hand on Amethyst’s shoulder while the other held Amethyst’s hand. She began to feel the onset of the contraction and she rested her head on her mate’s shoulder. “You can do this, Jasper,” Amethyst said softly. Jasper screwed her eyes closed and dug her nails into Amethyst. She could feel the last gemling coming into her new world, but she didn’t think she had enough in her to keep going. “Jasper! Keep going, come on baby. You aren’t a quitter, you’re a warrior, you’re a quartz. You’ve got this, just a little more.” At the sound of her mate’s encouragement, Jasper gather the energy she could to push a little more and finally, the last one of her four gemlings was brought into the world. Amethyst happily passed the newborn off to Garnet. 

Amethyst held Jasper and watched as the tears started to stream down her face. She felt for her mate, she knew this was one of the hardest things she had ever been expected to do and she would need a significant amount of nurturing and affection to bring her back to her normal self. Amethyst had known this would happen and was happy to take care of Jasper for however long she needed. “You did such an amazing job love, I am so incredibly proud of you.” Jasper clung to Amethyst and the purple gem made sure to keep her arms firmly around her mate to ensure she felt protected. After a while, Jasper’s tears slowed and her grip loosened. Amethyst helped her to bed, pulling the blanket over her and kissing her. Jasper immediately fell asleep from exhaustion and Amethyst went to see Garnet and the newborns. “Thank you for everything,” Amethyst started but Garnet stopped her. 

“Congratulations. Go meet your sweet new gemlings, you can thank me later.” 

Amethyst gently picked up the basket and brought it over to the bed. She peered in to see four tiny quartz gems asleep in front of her. The first was a beautiful solid orange jasper with her gem on her chest, next to her lay her sister, a striped orange jasper also with her gem on her chest. Next to the jaspers were two amethysts, both purple, one solid, one striped, but with Jasper’s gem location and cut. Amethyst couldn’t believe just how beautiful they were. Each with her own mound of white hair with a solid patch of silver on each side. Amethyst looked up, but Garnet had left, leaving the new family to recover in peace. Amethyst softly brushed the hair of each of her daughters as they slept. They looked so perfect, just like their mother. Amethyst placed the gemlings’ basket on the table next to the bed before curling up next to Jasper. Gently, she pulled her mate towards her, letting Jasper’s head rest against her arm and wrapping the other around Jasper’s waist. Instinctively, Jasper moved towards Amethyst. She rolled over to face her mate, pulling her closer by the waist. “It’s alright baby, I’m right here,” Amethyst whispered, rubbing Jasper’s back gently. 

A few hours later, Jasper woke up feeling rather unwell. Amethyst held her mate and gently ran her fingers through her hair. “It’s okay, just relax.” When it didn’t get better, Amethyst helped Jasper stand and walked with her to the bathroom. Once there, the orange gem threw up twice. Amethyst brushed Jasper’s hair and braided it, keeping it out of her face and soaked some towels in cold water for her mate. When Amethyst walked Jasper back to bed, the orange gem sat slowly before leaning backwards and curling up at the edge. “Am … I … can’t.” Amethyst scooped up her mate and placed her into the center of the bed before lying beside her.

“You’ve gone through a lot today,” Amethyst said softly. “Just rest, okay?”

“Can I see them?” Jasper whispered just before she fell asleep again. 

Amethyst held Jasper and gently stroked her hair. “Of course. When you wake up love, you can see them as soon as you wake up.” 

 

Once again, Jasper woke in a few hours, though feeling slightly better. She was still in pain and exhausted, but she wasn't nauseous. “Can I see them?” She asked sleepily. Amethyst helped Jasper sit up against some pillows and she brought the basket next to Jasper on the bed. She saw her 4 quartz daughters quietly resting. Jasper reached in and checked each gemling’s gem, running her finger softly over each. They were all perfect. She then stroked each of her daughter’s thick mounds of hair. When she had her fill of staring at the gemlings she had just brought into the world, she looked towards Amethyst. “We should name them.” Amethyst nodded at her mate, resting a hand on her back reassuringly. “I think, I want to name her Amee,” Jasper said pointing to her solid purple daughter. 

Amethyst smiled. “That sounds perfect.” Jasper decided on Amee for the solid amethyst and Sunrae for the solid jasper. Amethyst suggested Starla for the striped amethyst and Flame for the striped jasper. Amethyst leaned over and kissed Jasper. “They are beautiful. You once again produced a perfect litter of gemlings.” Jasper’s eyes had begun to close as she leaned over against her mate. 

Amethyst put the basket back on the table and rearranged the pillows so Jasper was lying more comfortably. Softly, she ran her hand over her mate, letting her know she was close by. Instead of Jasper’s body relaxing, she turned towards the touch, looking for Amethyst. Amethyst laid closer, letting Jasper arrange herself in Amethyst’s arms. Jasper was asleep, but Amethyst knew some part of the gem’s subconscious could hear her. “Just rest my love. You were so amazing today. I know it was incredibly difficult and I’m so proud of you. And I promise I’ll take care of you while you recover.” Just then, Amethyst heard a slight whimpering. She looked into the basket and saw Flame fussing softly. Amethyst returned the basket to the bed and ever so gently picked Flame up. She held the gemling and softly stroked her head. “Hello little wonderful daughter. You’ve got such beautiful stripes like your Momma and your sister Jay. And so much hair. Why are you fussing little one?” Amethyst gently lowered the blanket she was wrapped in and ran her finger over the gemling’s gem. “Shh Flame, it’s time to go back to sleep.” The gemling slowly curled up in Amethyst’s arms and fell back asleep and Amethyst returned Flame to her basket with her sisters. 

Amethyst turned her attention back to her mate. She seemed restless, so Amethyst tried rubbing her back. Eventually, she seemed to settle down into a comfortable sleep. Shortly after, there was a soft knock on the door. Amethyst opened it to see Storm and Sky. “Garnet told us Momma had the gemlings, is that true?” Storm asked quietly. 

“Yes, you have four new sisters. But Momma isn’t feeling well and she’s very tired. Remember how I told you giving birth to gemlings is a lot of work?” The little ones nodded.

Sky reached out and offered Amethyst a bowl. “We wanted to bring Momma this.” Amethyst pulled the cover off and saw it was fruit salad.

“That was incredibly sweet of you guys. I’m sure she will be very happy when she gets to eat it.” Amethyst looked at her daughters and smiled. “Do you promise to be very, very, quiet?” They both nodded in response. “Okay, well would you like to meet your sisters?” Amethyst watched as her daughter’s faces lit up. She quietly went back into the room and picked up the gemlings’ basket and brought it to the hall. She set it down while Sky and Storm looked in. Both stared speechlessly for a while before Storm ever so gently reach in and touched their hair. 

“What are their names, Mamma?” Sky asked. 

“Starla, Amee, Flame, and Sunrae,” Amethyst whispered pointing at each of them. 

Storm looked up at Amethyst. “They’re so little …” 

Amethyst laughed. “No Storm, they’re big for gemlings. You all were smaller than this. But after the first few days of sleep, gemlings grow quickly. They will be running around with their big sisters in no time.” Amethyst kissed her two older daughters on the head. “I love you both. Thank you for thinking of Momma and bringing her food you know she likes. She’ll be feeling better soon and I know she will want to see you guys immediately.” They both hugged Amethyst before heading back.

Amethyst brought the basket back into the room and placed the fruit salad on the dresser. Hopefully Jasper would be feeling up to eating soon because the orange gem certainly needed it. Amethyst returned to bed with her mate. She seemed restless again and Amethyst rested her hand on her back. “Am?” Jasper said quietly. Amethyst was slightly startled, unaware her mate was awake. 

“Yes baby?” Jasper rolled over and pulled herself closer, nestling her head into Amethyst’s shoulder. Amethyst slowly brushed away the tear sitting on Jasper’s cheek. “You were so incredible, love. I’m proud of you. You brought four beautiful gemlings into the world, even with them coming early and being on the larger side. You were amazing. Two litters, ten gemlings, you’re such a rockstar, babe.” Amethyst could tell Jasper didn’t have the energy to speak. Her eyes were closed but she was certainly awake. “Do you feel … bad?” Jasper nodded slightly. “Tired?” The orange gem shook her head no. “Weak?” another nod. “Hungry?” Jasper didn’t answer. Amethyst tried again. “Hungry but unsure you can keep the food down?” Jasper shook her head no. “Not hungry, but you know you should eat?” Jasper nodded. “Yeah, you should eat, but not until you’re feeling like you can sit up and talk and such babe. It’s okay for now.”

Jasper laid curled up against Amethyst for a few hours, falling asleep on and off before she was finally awake and speaking. Amethyst stroked her mate’s hair. “Do you want to talk? You look like you do and I’m willing to listen.” Jasper was trying to keep her thoughts to herself, but she knew she needed to talk to Amethyst. She pulled her close to her mate, waiting for Amethyst to wrap her arms around her. That’s what she needed, to feel safe and warm with Amethyst. Amethyst kissed her forehead. “Turn around love, you’ll feel better.” Jasper rolled over to face away from Amethyst and the purple gem moved behind her. She pulled Jasper tightly against her body and held her close. Jasper sighed. Amethyst knew exactly how to make her feel better. “What’s on your mind?” Amethyst asked softly. 

Jasper thought about it. So much was on her mind she didn’t know where to begin. She was silent for a bit, trying to sort out her thoughts. Amethyst expected this and let her mate think, gently brushing her fingers against Jasper’s stomach. Finally, Jasper spoke. “I feel different.” She reached up and traced patterns on Amethyst’s arm, unsure where she was going with this. 

“During training, there’s a drill we have to do. I don’t remember doing it myself, but I remember making lots of other gems do it. You find a gem’s breaking point and make them go past it. If you can fight, full force, for 20 minutes, they make you go 25 or 30. And every gem they do this to, every gem I did this to, broke one way or another. The weakest ones were shattered from the stress, the weak ones retreated to their gems. The strong ones, they finished the drill but after that they could never fight as well as they had. The exceptionally strong ones were always the most interesting. They found something deep inside them and managed to give more than they had. They finished and the following day they would fight just as they always had.” Jasper unconsciously wiggled back slightly towards Amethyst. 

“I didn’t socialize with them, so I don’t know first-hand, but there were rumors. It was said that the exceptional fighters who passed that test broke emotionally. The others would argue that it was because they were creating strength from nothing with no support and no good reason. They had to lose something to gain that strength.” Amethyst squeezed Jasper gently to remind her she was there. 

The orange gem was silent for a bit before she continued. “I went through that exercise. They called me exceptional. What did I give up for the strength to get through that drill?” Amethyst wanted to say something, but she decided to wait. She knew Jasper had more she wanted to say. “Today, I felt like I was in that drill again. Like more was being asked of me than I had to give. I made it through, my gem intact. What did I give up today for the strength to get through?” 

Amethyst made Jasper sit up as the orange gem started to cry. She pulled Jasper into her lap and held her mate. “Shh, it’s okay. I won’t let you go.” Jasper tried to stop the tears, but the more she tried the harder she ended up crying. Her throat burned, her eyes stung, she couldn’t breathe, Jasper had never cried like this before. She held tighter to Amethyst, wishing her mate could make it all stop. After a while, Amethyst spoke to her. “Jasper, listen to me baby. When you were training, you know exactly what you gave up to find the strength to push through. You gave up this. Remember when you got here, and you wanted to know how I could be a fighter and still feel?” Amethyst leaned back to look at her mate. Jasper had stopped crying and Amethyst ran the back of her hand across her mate’s cheek to wipe the tears. “You were trained to fight one verse all. If you don’t fight past your breaking point, you were going to be broken. I never had to do that. When I reach my breaking point, someone else will come fight for me. When I can’t fight any longer, Pearl will fight for me until I can.” 

Amethyst kissed Jasper softly. “But you took back all the things you gave up. That’s what made today so hard. You were used to fighting past your limit and not feeling the repercussions.” Jasper rested her head on Amethyst’s shoulder and the purple gem wrapped her arms around her mate once more, pulling her close. “Sometimes we have to do things outside our limits. The corrupted gem attack on our gemlings, then for them to think they lost one of their parents, that was way outside their limit. But they got through, they had each other, they had you. It took some talking through things and support, but they made it through.” Amethyst wiggled her fingers under Jasper’s hair and pressed her fingertips against her mate’s scalp. The orange gem relaxed slightly in Amethyst’s arms. 

“You were expected to do something incredibly outside your limit. I knew it was, but I also knew you could do it. You were expected to tolerate more pain than you should have had to, more anxiety, more frustration, and I’m sorry love. I knew you’d need help to recover from this. And I am more than happy to give you all the time and attention you need. I don’t know how you’re feeling babe, but I can imagine you’re feeling a lot of things you haven’t had to feel in a long time. But I promise, I’ll be right here. When you feel those things, when you want to stop feeling those things, when you just want to feel safe, I will be right here with you.” 

 

Jasper wondered how her mate always knew exactly what to say. She pulled Amethyst closer and just listened to the sound of her mate’s breathing. It was comforting, soothing. Jasper thought for a moment about who she was, what she had. She was fighter, a warrior, but she wasn’t fighting for ideas any longer. She wasn’t fighting for what others wanted, she was fighting for herself. She fought for her family. For Lapis and Pearl and the gemlings they didn’t think anyone knew were on their way. For Garnet, the manifestation of Ruby and Sapphire’s love. For Steven and for Connie who were always side by side fighting for each other. For her 6 gemlings she could never imagine her world without, each of their beautiful personalities a blend of her and Lapis but somehow clearly all very much Amethyst’s daughters. For her 4 tiny quartz gemlings snuggled in their basket. For her mate, the one who never gave up on her, who kept her balanced, who kept her sane, who made her whole. She had so much more to lose than she ever did before, but with that, every day held so much more joy, so much more happiness. It was the life she had always wanted; the life Amethyst had helped her create. This is what she fought for. She opened her eyes and looked at Amethyst. “You’re my everything,” she said softly before she kissed her mate. Amethyst pressed he forehead against Jasper’s and looked into her eyes. “And you’re mine.”


	32. Chapter 32

Jasper opened her eyes and blinked several times. She looked beside her and saw her mate was still asleep. She curled up closer to Amethyst and rested her head on her mate’s shoulder. “Am, you promised!!” 

Amethyst yawned and rolled over. “Huh?” 

Jasper kissed her mate deeply before repeating herself. “You promised.” 

Amethyst yawned again before blinking at Jasper. “Yeah, I know. I promised.” 

Jasper got out of bed and stood in front of the mirror, pulling her hair back while Amethyst sat up and stretched. “Come on!” 

The purple gem rubbed her eyes. “You’re like a human child on Christmas, Jasper, chill!” 

Jasper knelt on the bed and leaned over to kiss her mate. “I’m just excited. I haven’t been able to do conditioning in months!” 

Amethyst finally got out of bed. “I know babe. Okay, let’s check on the Q babies and then we can head out.” 

They entered the gemlings’ room and were greeted by Sky and Storm. “Are we gonna go now?” Storm asked, full of energy.

Amethyst smiled, “Not yet love, first we have to make sure your sisters are alright.” 

Jasper entered the room the quartz quartet shared followed by Amethyst. All four were asleep, curled up together, a pile of limbs and hair, but mostly hair. Jasper ran her hand over each of their little heads. 

“Momma, we can do this!” Lake said softly. 

Jasper turned to her daughter and smiled. “I know you can my love. Just remember, if you and Jewel need help, Lapis is in Pearl’s room and Garnet is in her room. We’ll be back soon.” 

Amethyst kissed each of the sleeping gemlings. “And when we get back,” she said to Lake, “we can make one of Steven’s special together breakfasts, okay?” Lake smiled and nodded. Amethyst kissed Lake’s head. “Be good babe.” 

 

They stepped on the warp pad and rematerialized at the battle arena. Storm jumped off the pad and ran to the conditioning course, pulling Sky behind her. Jasper smiled brightly at Amethyst as they walked hand in hand towards the course. “You’re really excited for this aren’t you?” Amethyst asked Jasper. 

The orange gem shyly turned towards Amethyst. “Yes. I really love conditioning, Am. I’ve missed it. 

Amethyst did not love conditioning, but she adored seeing her mate happy. “Alright love, show me what you and Storm spend your mornings doing.” 

Jasper kissed her mate on the cheek before walking a short distance away from her. “Alright Storm, want to start warm-ups?” Storm pulled an elastic from around her wrist and handed it to Jasper. Once the gemling’s hair was tied back like her mother’s, she was ready to begin. 

Storm turned on the radio and started to call various warm-ups. They were easy, meant for stretching to ensure no one was injured during conditioning, but Sky wasn’t sure she liked them. They involved coordination of your limbs and speed. Sky was more quick minded and lacked the muscle memory of a quartz. When they were finished, the three quartz gems were indeed fired up while Sky felt tired and unsure she wanted to continue. 

Amethyst noticed and knelt down to talk to the water gem. “I know this isn’t the type of training you like, but Momma hasn’t been able to do this for a while and she really misses it. Would you be alright with watching Storm and Momma start their conditioning and then we can go do something you might like better?” Sky bit her lip, trying to weigh her options. “We could practice your electrical conductivity if you wanted,” Amethyst said with a smile. 

The blue gem smiled back at her. “Okay!” 

Storm bounced over to Jasper. “What are we gonna do first?” Jasper smiled at her daughter and the gemling grew more excited. “Wall climbs?!” They were Storm’s favorite conditioning drill. Jasper nodded and they all walked towards the base of the wall. 

“I think we’ll just cheer you two on okay?” Amethyst said. “I’m really excited to see how much you’ve improved, Storm.” The gemling smiled and took a ready stance at the bottom of the wall. Amethyst flashed a smile at her mate before the orange gem started the count down for her and Storm. As the two began their wall climb, Sky cheered her sister on enthusiastically.


	33. Chapter 33

Jasper wanted Amethyst. It had been such a long time since she had felt her mate and she was hoping today she could fix that. Amethyst wasn’t so sure. She knew what Jasper wanted, but she also had some idea of what Jasper’s body could take, and she didn’t believe Jasper was ready for this. “Love, I don’t think this is a good idea,” Amethyst said softly, pulling Jasper into her arms. 

Jasper blinked at her, clearly confused. “Why not?” 

Amethyst kissed her mate’s forehead before running her finger down her gem. “Remember a couple days ago? One finger was too much for you.” 

Jasper brushed off Amethyst’s comment. “I’ll be fine. I … really want … “she trailed off. 

“I know babe. We can try, I just don’t want to hurt you.” 

Jasper closed her eyes as Amethyst pressed herself against her core. “You okay?” Amethyst asked Jasper, brushing her fingers over the orange gem’s arm.

“Yeah,” Jasper whisper. Amethyst slowly began to push forward, watching the look on Jasper’s face. The orange gem’s expression changed several times, but she seemed okay. Amethyst continued until a slightly uncomfortable expression turned into clear pain.

“Jasper, are you okay?” Jasper’s eyes were tightly shut. She nodded furiously, but Amethyst didn’t believe her. Slowly, she pulled out and laid beside her mate. 

A few tears of frustration rolled down Jasper’s cheeks as Amethyst pulled her into a kiss. “Why is this so important to you that you’re willing to be in pain to make it work?” Jasper didn’t reply. “This isn’t supposed to be torture,” Amethyst said while wiping a tear from Jasper’s face. “Come here,” Amethyst whispered softly, opening her arms. Jasper resisted as Amethyst put her arms around the orange gem. “Please come here, baby?” Jasper moved towards Amethyst and let her mate hold her. Neither spoke as Amethyst gently ran her fingers through Jasper’s hair. 

“Jasper?” Amethyst said quietly. Jasper sniffed and reached up to wipe her eyes. “Baby, you’ve got to give it time.” Amethyst continued to run her fingers through Jasper’s hair, hoping to calm her mate. “It’s okay that it can’t happen right now. But I don’t want you to be in pain or to push yourself past your limits to make it work either. It doesn’t mean we can’t show each other love. Just that sex is gonna have to wait for a bit.” Amethyst ran her fingertips against Jasper’s scalp as Jasper leaned in and kissed her deeply. 

“Do you remember when we admitted to each other we were mated?” Amethyst whispered softly into Jasper’s ear. 

“Of course I remember,” Jasper laughed. “All I wanted was to hear you say it. I asked you to a bunch of times because I was too scared to do it myself. But you kept pretending not to know what I was talking about.” Jasper nestled her head into Amethyst’s neck. “Whenever I asked you to say it, you would respond with ‘Say what?’”

Amethyst laughed. “I was just as scared to say it as you were. I was scared because … I felt it. And I had been feeling it for a while. I wasn’t really sure if you felt it too.” Amethyst sighed. “But when I said it … when I pulled you close and said out loud we were mated, it felt … perfect. I just thought to myself, ‘She’s mine.’”

Amethyst pulled Jasper close and kissed her deeply, when she finally let go, Jasper was panting softly. “You’re the most incredible gift I have ever been given and every day I feel so lucky to have my mate by my side. You’re strong and courageous.” Amethyst ran her fingers down her mate’s cheek. “You are understanding and supportive. Jasper I am so deeply in love with you.” Amethyst leaned over and kissed Jasper’s cheek. “When you’re okay to try again, we’ll try again. Just give it time babe.” Jasper pressed her lips together angrily, but nodded. She knew Amethyst was right, she just had to give it time. 

Jasper sighed. “Am, you are such a wonderful mate. I would never have been able to make it to where I am without you. I know I don’t say it often, but I’m really grateful to have you in my life. Thank you, for being so patient with me, for always trying to help me through.” Jasper pulled her gaze from Amethyst, trying to find the words she needed. “I know I tell you I love you. I tell you that a lot. And I do, I love you more than I could ever imagine loving someone. But … I don’t tell you how grateful I am for you. I don’t tell you thank you. When things are hard and you remind me to take a breath and slow down. When our life is chaotic with the kids and you smile at me, reminding me some stuff just needs to be laughed at. When I make a mistake and you remind me it’s okay. During all of these moments, you deserve to hear ‘thank you’, and I don’t always say it. So, thank you baby. Thank you for everything you do.” 

Amethyst smiled at Jasper, pulling her closer gently by the hair. “I fucking love you, you know that?” 

Jasper smirked, “Yeah. I’m loveable.” 

\---

3.5 months after the quartz quartet gemlings were born, the entire family was sitting in the living room for what the gemlings had dubbed “the naming ceremony”. Pearl and Lapis were about to introduce the family to their litter. Amethyst sat with Jasper, Starla and Sunrae in their arms; Steven sat with Connie and Garnet; Lake and Jewel were cuddled together while Jay and Laz sat on the floor at Garnet’s feet; finally, Storm sat next to Sky holding Flame and Amee in their laps. 

Amethyst thought back to a few days ago. She and Jasper were in Pearl’s room, trying to calm the new parents to be. Pearl’s contractions were close, but not close enough and the tall gem was worried something might be wrong. Lapis had come to Jasper’s room looking for them. She said that Pearl specifically asked that she get Amethyst. Amethyst could tell Lapis wasn’t taking this much better and she took Jasper along with her to try to calm the water gem. 

When they arrived, Pearl was not surprisingly in tears. Amethyst went to her friend and tried her best to help. Pearl looked at Amethyst with fear in her eyes, “It hurts so much Amethyst.”

Amethyst nodded. “I know P, but you can make it hurt a little less. First, stand up.” She re-positioned the tall gem to a stance that allowed her body to stretch out. “How does that feel?” Amethyst placed her hand gently on Pearl’s back, she knew another contraction was coming. The tall gem held tightly to her ballet bar as Amethyst rubbed her back. Eventually, Pearl turned around and looked at Amethyst. 

“That … wasn’t SO bad. I mean, it was bad, but, not as bad? I guess it could have been worse.” Amethyst smiled. 

Jasper sat on the bed with Lapis trying to convince the water gem she had this all under control. “I don’t know the first thing about this Jasp!” Lapis said tearfully. 

Jasper just shrugged. “She’s your mate. And you sired those gems. You know exactly what to do, just do what seems right and it will be right almost all the time.” 

Lapis looked skeptical. “I dunno, are you sure that’s how it works?” Jasper only offered a half smile. 

“I’ll tell you what she wants. She’s in pain and she’s scared. She wants you to be close by, she wants you to comfort her, and she wants you to tell her everything will be okay. Do that however you normally do that for her. She’s your mate Lazuli, how do you normally comfort her when she’s freaked out?” Lapis thought about it for a moment. “So go do that!” Jasper said. Lapis hugged Jasper and smiled as she got up to see Pearl. 

“Thanks, I appreciate the pep talk.” 

Jasper smiled back, glad she could say she and Lapis were now friends. “No worries.”


End file.
